Evening star., 1941-11-05
By j. 4. OLEARY.

President Roosevelt was reported
to have told Congressional leaders
today he is anxious for prompt pas
sage of the Neutrality Act revision
bill as il now stands in the Senate.
without injecting into it the issue
of curbing labor trouble in defense
industries.
Administration lieutenants at the
Capitol are believed to have advised
the President al White House con-
ference this morning that they can
get final approval in both houses OF
the ship arming bill with the Sem
ate amendment allowing American
ships 10 go 10 belligerent ports. pro-
vided no other issues are entangled
with il.
Although two proposed amend
ments to the ship bill dealing with
defense strikes are awaiting Senate
action, administration forces hope
they will be able to avoid this OBJ
stacle TO prompt neutrality revision
with the suggestion that labor prob
lens belong more appropriately in
lIIC pIIIc (OlIlIOl
Democratic leaders at the Capitol
are confident the House will accept
the Senate's broader neutrality revl-
sion measure by majority of prob
ably 10 votes as II now stands. but
they are fearful of what the House
might do if the Senate tacks on an
anti-strike rider.
Although the proposal 10 consider
the labor problem along with price
/ control was advanced in Senate
/ cloakrooms after the leaders had
conferred at the White House, II was
made clear by those who advanced
the suggestion that they were not
committing the administration 10
any definite course when the labor
merits
81 Votes Believed Sure"
With Senate showdown in neu-
trahty expected late tomorrow or
Friday. supporters of the bill count
ed 46 Democrats, Republicans and
Independent as sure making
minimum of 81 votes for the bill
enough to pass it. They still hope,
however, to win over several more
! Democrats who have not committed
themselves.
/ AS these developments were TAX
ing place off the floor, Chairman
Walsh of the Senate Naval Affairs
Committee was carrying on the
/ debate against neutrality repeal.
charging that passage of the pend
/ ing bill would be "tantamount TO
our concurrence in a shooting war
which the President on his own
authority has proclaimed"
Meanwhile. on the floor. Califor-
MAS two Senators-Downey. DEM
ocrat, and johnson. Republican
clashed over that States attitude
toward involvement in the war.
/ Senator Downey, Just back from
the Pacific Coast, arose to an
nounce for the first time his sup
port of lifting the neutrality re-
strictions that keep American mer-
chant ships from carrying aid to the
ports OF the nations fighting Hitler.
He said he was doing so because
/ polls show from Is to 80 per cent
/ of the people of California favor
/ that course
/ AS he took his seat Senator john
( son, veteran of many debates dat-
/ ing back to the League of Nations
fight. was up challenging hic COL
leagues claim regarding the wishes
of California.
Wheeler Says Neutrality Worked.
Il am in touch with the people
of California said Senator John
/ son. Il get 300 letters daily and
the great majority of mothers and
fathers who write to me pray that
I do what I can to keep this coun-
try from being taken to war"
When the Californians had fin
ished Senator Wheeler, Democrat.
of Montana, who has stumped
the country against the admins
trations foreign policy, began
long, prepared address, charging
that the administration forces IN
the Senate have followed the lead
of Wendell L. Willkie in demand
ing destruction of the Neutrality
Act by which We have maintained
honorable peace in a world war"
This demand isn't because the
Neutrality Act hasn't worked, but
because it has worked WE'LL" said
the Montanan.
Senator Wheeler cOntended the
tSee NEUTRALITY, Page A-4D