Evening star., 1941-02-04

"
and today Mr. Fish says he's for
all aid to Britain short OF war"
The only reason given for this
change is that it is the law to fur
nish material and We must act on
it continued Mr.. Clifford.
Il want to vote for this bill If
can" added Mr. Clifford Il do not
want to vote for a dictator bill. But
l want to tell you that England will
go down If she does not get this aid.
This bill will help to give her the aid
she needs."
He said that critics of the bill
prophesied the President would do
many things under its provisions
He predicted that if public opinion
is with the President, we will have
TO accept what he does
What's Our Navy For?"
An amendment, Mr.. Clifford said
advanced by the minority would
absolutely prohibit the use of Amer
ican naval vessels for convoy pur-
poses.
What's our Navy for?" shouted
Mr. Clifford DO any of you think
for minute that our Navy would
not convoy American ships carrying
goods to South America. even
though Hitler threatened to sink
them, and even though the goods
were eventually TO be shipped to
England?"
Taking up the amendment which
seeks to put stringent limit on the
Presidents power to turn over to
England any vessels of the Navy
without specific consent of Congress,
he said, Why shouldn't We give
England the mosquito feet. and
some more Of our destroyers. if they
are not needed for our own Navy
and If the Secretary of the Navy
says ii is all right to do so? l do
not want to close the door to giving
England aid she may vitally need"
Mr.. Clifford said that what the
British need particularly is en-
couragement. which they would re-
ceive by the passage of this bill, even
though more material aid might not
go forward Immediately.
Lauds British Morale.
He praised the morale and courage
of the British people shown under
the terrible conditions the war has
brought them.
Would to God" he said. our own
people could have that same morale
under such conditions
Mr.. Clifford defended the lease
lend provisions of the bill against
the minority proposal for a cash
loan. He said in lending We may
get back in kind under this bill"
Opponents of the lease-lend bill, he
said, had opposed any credit to the
British in the past because of her
failure to pay her World War debt
to this country.
Now" he said, they want to
give her money"
Mr.. Mas in a vigorous attack on
the measure, said it will mot get q
single airplane to England faster
blldli EAleldLlQ "Ould eCL lIldL dlL
plane without this bill
Suggests Purchase of Islands.
If the purpose is to aid England,
he continued, the problem of in
creased production in factories
should be attacked, means found
to put an end to labor strikes that
are delaying production. and ways
found to expand the essential in
dustries which are creating bottle
neckS in our production"
Mr.. Mas estimated that England
would have about 10 billion dollars
credit in this country if her West
ern Hemisphere possessions, except
ing Canada and Nova Scotia, were
traded to this country This amount.
she explained. could be placed to
the credit of the British in the Ex-
port-Import Bank of the United
States for purchases in this country.
This" he added, would cancel
the first World War debt and allow
the British to continue their pur-
chaSes in the United States
IF England wants merely to
further purchasing power in this
country and not a subterfuge to
force us into active participation in
the war in her behalf, she will ac-
cept our proposal to buy her West
ern Hemisphere islands"
Representative Jonkman, Repub-
lican, of Michigan. who also opposed
the bill, declared it ''is a measure
proposing the most revolutionary
the American people
have ever contemplated"
Denies Britain Aids Defense.
"It appropriates to the Chief Ex-
ecutive," he said, the entire mill
tary and naval strength of the
United States with the exception
of its man power for his use as an
ally, of any nation he may choose
to join, in any war now in progress
or hereafter"
The safety and security of the
people of the United States, Repre-
sentative Jonkman pointed out, lies