Evening star., 1941-02-04
President Needs
Necessary Powers,
Richards Asserts
BY GOULD LINCOLN.

House debate on the lease e-lcnd
bill to aid Britain went into its sec
ond day today with Representative
Richards, Democrat of South Car
olina, a member of the Foreign
Affairs Committee, leading off
for the supporters OF the measure.
Administration leaders again as
serted their confidence that the
measure would pass by large vote
when the showdown comes later in
the week.
The Democratic members of the
Foreign Affairs Committee met at
the call of Chairman Bloom before
the House session began at noon, to
map strategy for the remainder of
the general debate, and for carrying
on debate when the discussion of
amendments begins.
They insisted they saw no pros
pect of material changes in the bill
from the form in which it was re-
ported to the house.
Mr.. Richards declared the So
called leaSe-lend bill was in reality
a bill to promote the defense of
the United States and should be
considered in the House. he said.
from that point of view The two
major propositions in the bill, he
said, were help to the democracies
and a grant of power to the Presi-
dent enabling him to give that aid.
Should we give this aid to Great
Britain and the other democracies?'
Mr.. Richards asked. He answered
strongly in the affirmative. He said
he has been considered an isola-
zionist in the past and that he was
not an Anglophile; that one Of the
darkest pages in the history was
England's reputation of her World
War debts to the United States
Nevertheless, he continued, he did
not intend to have it said in the
future that Richards cut off his
nose to spite his face He would
not let his feelings about England's S
lngratltude to this country keep
him from voting aid to the British
now as they fight Hitler.
He insisted Hitler had made it
evident he would eventually attack
this country.
vitality Necessary, He Says.
Mr.. Richards told the House he
considered it vitally necessary to
give aid to Britain now as a measure
OF defense for the United States.
A full and fair hearing. he said.
had been given on the bill by the
House Foreign Affairs Committee.
He pointed out that two Republican
members of the cabinet, Secretary
Of War Stimson and Secretary of
the Navy Knox, had strongly sup
ported the measure. With the ex-
ception of Col. Charles A. Lindbergh.
no witness appearing before the
committee, he said, had voiced the
opinion it made no difference to
the United States which side won
the war.
All the rest of the witnesses. in
cluding those called by Representa-
tive Fish, Republican, of New York,
opponent of the bill, had said it was
to the advantage of this country to
have the British win the war.
Mr.. Fish" Mr.. Richards said,
says he wants to aid England. but
what he really says in opposing this
bill is, Mother, 1 want to go out to
swim, and his mother replies, Yes,
my darling daughter-hang your
clothes on a hickory limb, but don't
go near the water" Mr.. Richards
told the House that it was necessary,
in time of emergency, to place great
discretionary powers in the hands
of the President. He said powers
just as great as in this bill had been
given to Washington, Jefferson and
to Mckinley in 1898.
LikenS Hatred to CatO's.
He said that any man who de-
clined support to the proposal to aid
Britain because he feared to an
tagonize Hitler was craven"
Mr.. Richards charged that Rep
resentative Fish's hatred of Presi-
dent Roosevelt was as ''venemous"
as was the hate of Cato, who rose
in the Roman Senate day after day
and demanded the destruction of
Carthage. The real purpose of his
opposition to this BILL" Mr.. Rich
ards said, lis not to protect the
(See DEBATE, Page A-3