The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-01-14

 a weekend at Hyde Park this morn in to survey with congressional leaders public reaction to the Dill which would give him unpreceoenJ- ed peace-time powers to make the United States the arsenal ot de- mocracy."
 Sources close to the White House indicated that MT. Roosevelt was confident the administration has enough votes to pass the bill with out his intervention. They indicated that he would remain aloof from any controversy and pointed out that he had declined to comment on Willkie's endorsement of the bulS objectives.
 Study Modification
 Congressional leaders are expect ed to go to the White House soon after his arrival, to study with him proposals advanced from many sources to modify the aid-to-Britain measure. There have been indica- tions that the administration would compromise on some features, but have met sharp rebuffs from oppo- sition leaders who wish to defeat the bill in it's entirety.
 Chairman Sol Bloom of the House foreign affairs committee said he would be "overjoyed" to have Willkie as a witness, if the committee de- sired. Other members indicated that they were considering inviting him to testify before he leaves for his trip to England.
 The Senate foreign relations con- mittee, which meets tomorrow to plan procedure on the bill, may be confronted with several attempts to call Joseph P. Kennedy and William c. Bullitt, former ambassadors to Great Britain and France, reSpec- lively, to testify. Senator Arthur H. Vandenberg,. R., Mich, proposed at a meeting last week that Kennedy be called, but no action was taken. Senator Bennett c. Clark, D., Mo, was said to be ready to make a motion to call both Kennedy and Bullitt.
 Many RebuffS
 Vigorous rebuffs were given hints of the administration willingness to modify the bill, by Senator Bur- ton K. Wheeler, D., Mont, co-leader of the oppositionists, and Senator Robert A. Taft, R., O., who may be chosen to help Wheeler organize the fight. Both announced that they were out to defeat the bill and would not compromise.
 Wheeler said he was definitely and positively opposed to the United States buying an interest in this war"
 Indications of an attempt to com promise a part of the opposition came from Speaker Sam Rayburn and House Democratic Leader John w. Mccormack. Rayburn said he would not oppose time limit on the grant of power to the president if 1t was concurrent with the emergency, but declined to specify in years or months a period that would be sat- isfactory. Mccormack said he had heard couple of constructive sug- gestions" which were always wei come"
 First Amendment
 The first formal amendment pro- posal introduced in Congress came from Rep. Kenneth F. Simpson, R., N. H. His bill was identical with the Barkley-McCorm aid-to-Brit- ain bill, except for these two addi- tions:
 l. A two-year time limit on Pres ident Roosevelt's power to manu- facture arms to be loaned abroad.
 2. Specific provision that these arms be produced only for the na- tions of the British commonwealth and Ireland, unless Congress by con- current resolution provided other wise.
 Simpson claimed that to give MT. Roosevelt unlimited power to name the countries which would get the arms was almost equivalent to giving him the right to declare war.
 That right" he said, should be carefully safeguarded by Congress"
 Simpson conferred with Willkie before introducing his bill. He did not claim that Willkie had endorsed 1t, but said it was an attempt to translate the ideas set forth in Will kie's endorsement into legislative form. Simpson has been in Congress only 10 days. He was strong sup porter of Willkie in the recent presi- dential campaign.
 Willkie Didn't Say
 New York, Jan. IA - (UP0 - Wendell L. Willkie said T don't want to say won't or I will'' today when asked whether he would go to Washington to testify before the House Foreign Affairs Committee on President Rooseevlt's arms lending bill.
 Willkie has endorsed the bill pro- vided it contains a time limit on power to be granted MT. Roosevelt, but said he had no statement to make concerning whether he would testify at hearings on the measure.
 "The whole thing depends on how much time have before I leave for England" he said. Things about the trip are still pretty indefinite
 Makes Report
 Greenwich, Conn, Jan. IA - CU. P.) = Greenwich time said today in copyrighted interview that Ven dell L. Willkie, 1940 Republican presidential candidate, was going to London in an effort to get "clear definition" of Great Britain's war aims.
 The newspaper quoted Samuel s. Pryor, Jr., national Republican com mitteman from Connecticut and Wiflkie's campaign manager in the November election, regarding the purposes of the defeated presiden- tial candidates trip.
 Pryor, according to the newspaper understood that Willkie would leave by Pan American Clipper during the week of January 19 and ex- poets to be aboard about two weeks"
 MT. Willkie has a moral obliga- tion' to the 22,0O0, ,0O0 American cit izens who voted for him to find out