Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-14
Huge Fund
For Aid a
Compromise
Roosevelt Sees No Reason
to NibbIe al Cherry
BY PAUL MALLON

+ RooSevelts lend-lease intentions
was furnished those congress
Sional appropriaters called to the
White House. In the cloak room
they are quoting the President
as saying there were two rea-
sons he chose to request the
stupendous sum of $7,000,000,-
900.
First, he saw no reason for
taking two or three bites at the
cherry" although such a vast
sum could not be spent for a
long time. and the war might be
over before it was all used.
Second, and most important, the
sum would shock the world into
an appreciation that the United
States meant business. Particu-
larly it would bolster British
morale.
Mr.. Roosevelt lso intends
(the congressman UNDERSTOOD
not TO take back any second
hand equipment in replacement
of what he sends over. Repay
ment in kind will require equiv
alents of the latest type.
Further, the President gave
complete assurance that he
would rely on the war and navy
departments to decide what they
can spare. and their judgment
will be the determining factor
| in what is sent Immediately.
The S7,000,000,000 figure was
apparently a compromise arith-
metically reached by the Presi-
dent between those who thought
S10,000000,000 to S12,0O00O0,-
600 would be a bigger shocker
and those who claimed no more
than S3,000,000,000 or $4,000
600 could be spent in the next
year.
/ MOST encouraging news was
AVA told the congressman in an
swer to a question by Repre-
sentative May of Kentucky. Mr..
May asked if our defense pro-
duction will be high enough
within six months to provide for
our domestic defense needs in
case the British fall thereafter.
The President said:
Eyes"
TNCONSPICUOUSLY snubbed
L by the reunion was the isola-
zionist, Senator Gerald Nye.
To restore good feeling after
the sharp debate, Mr.. Roosevelt
instructed his congressional
leaders to arrange this confer
ence with ranking members of
the House and Senate appropria-
tons committees. So forgiving
were the hearts of either Mr..
Roosevelt or his leaders that
even John Taber, the arch Re-
publican. was included. But
their hearts did not open enough
TO include Nye, who occupies in
the Senate the same ranking Re-
publican appropriations position
as Taber holds in the House.
MIR. ROOSEVELT was mac
yA curate when he announced
defense strikes had not involved
more than one-fourth OF l per
cent of the defense workers. He
slipped on two counts ID That
no more than this insignificant
number of defense workers were
out at any one time and (2)
That the figure was an indica-
ton of the unimportance of the
current strike situation.
The fact is the figure covered
the whole year 1910, and not the
maximum number of strikers
out at any one time. 1t was
based on a survey of 1910 made
by the bureau of labor. statistics
on only IL defense industries.
The bureau computed man days
of work last year at 554, 952 900
in these industries Figuring on
the basis of only 240 work days.
and man days lost by strikes at
/ 1867
Up TO date figures showing
significance of the current
situation after January / have
not been compiled.
+ SENATORIAL colleagues con-
~ slider Senator Byrnes a
! cinch for the Supreme Court
Vacancy, but believe the appoint
ment may be delayed. Resigna-
tlon of Chief Justice Hughes is
expected in June at which time
T Attorney General jackson may
j get that chair Rex Tugwell,
original braintruster, is working
quietly on the job which Ben
Cohen intended to undertake,
surveying the limitations on the
ownership of property in Puerto
Rico Understate Secretary
Berle has taken up inside the
cause of the American Export
Airline. whose subsidy TO COM
pete with Pan-American was
denied by the House. Pulling
the opposite inner way is the
maritime commission chairman.
Admiral Emory Land. How
Pan-Am. has been able to keep
its competitor out of the air.
line business with all the pas
sengers and mail piled up, at