Evening star., 1941-11-08
75.Vote Margin
For Ship Bill
In House Seen
Action Is Planned
Next Week; Measure
Passes Senote, 50-37
BY J. A. OLEARY.

hepedl Oh IDe vital sections OF JIlo
law TO let American ships
go armed through combat zones
with lease-lend aid for Britain and
Russia awaits its crucial test in the
House next week, after passing the
Senate last night, so to 81.
House leaders, confident they will
have the votes to concur in the
broadened Senate bill. have agreed
to put off action until Wednesday to
await the return of members who
will be away over Armistice Day.
The question uppermost in con-
greSsional minds today was how
close the vote will be in the House.
The original bill, providing only for
the armirg of merchant ships,
passed the House three weeks ago,
259 to 1873 majority of l2l.
1t is generally conceded that that
majority will be cut down on the
Senate amendment aboliShing COM
bat zones and leaving American
ships free to help carry the muri-
tions and other supplies needed TO
stop Hitler.
To Permit Debate.
Although House rules would make
it possible for the administration to
seek adoption of the Senate bill in
one hour on Wednesday, Chairman
Bloom of the House Foreign Affairs
Committee said today he has no in
tention of curtailing debate to that
extent.
Pointing out that he has tried to
give the opposition ample time in
the past, Mr.. Bloom said he would
apply to the Rules Committee Mon
day for special rule allowing
probably one or two full days of
discussion before he moves to con-
cur in the Senate's action.
Mr.. Bloom said he believed there
would be majority of between rs
and 100 votes for the Senate meas.
ure in the House.
Galleries Are Crowded.
Some other supporters of the ad-
ministration's foreign policy esti-
mate they will have a House ma
jority of about 10 for the Senate
measure. Isolationists, on the other
hand, insist they have a chance to
beat the broader Senate proposal
and leave only the ship-arming pro-
vision.
Throughout the Senate fight, op-
ponents clung TO the hope that if
the Senate vote was close 1t would
strengthen and encourage opposition
forces in the House.
Representative Fish, Republican.
of New York, ranking minority
member of the Foreign Affairs Com
mittee, voted for the original bill
limited to arning ships, but is pre-
pairing to lead fight against the
Senate changes.
Vice President Wallace declared
the bill passed in the Senate shortly
before $50 last night before
crowded galleries and with some
members of the House seated in the
back of the chamber to await the
roll call.
The Senate had been in session
since II o'clock in the morning and
leaders had worked feverishly in
repeated cloak-room conferences to
iron out difficulties over procedures
and pairs to obtain the agreement
for vote before adjournment.
The high light of the closing hours
of Senate debate was the sharp at
tack Senator Tydings, Democrat. of
Maryland. made on President Roose-
velt and his administration for not
dealing more firmly with strikes in
defense industries.
The Marylander, a veteran Of the
last war, said he would vote to arm
merchant ships in view Of the sink
ing of the Robin Moor. but added:
L am not going to vote to send other
men in 1941 to their death in the
war zone so long as the leadership
of the President and his admins
tration is so stepped in politics that
it refuses to give to those who will
go to their death the complete de-
votion and support which their sac
rifce should enlist from any gov
ernment, democratic or otherwise.
Proposes Seven Pre- War Steps.
He listed seven steps this govern
ment should take before going into
this war:
IF we are going into this war,
there are seven things that are in
dispensable to fighting it success
fully and ending it quickly. With
out these seven things, We, in the
book of history and before the bar of
American public opinion. will be
found guilty of having done too lit
tie and having acted too late. These
seven things are as follows:
"First-Henceforth there must be
complete frankness by the President.
his cabinet and the Congress with
the American people.
"Second-Strikes must end and
stay ended during this war.
"Third-There must be drastic
increase in all forms of taxation.
"Fourth-Every expenditure which
is not essential to our national de-
fense, which can possibly be elm
mated, must be stopped
"Fifth-There must be a price CELL