Evening star., 1941-01-07
President 10 Get
Tentative Draft
OF 'Lend-Lease' Bill
Congress Leaders Say
Roosevelt Will Ask
Defense Lump Sum
By GOULD LINCOLN.

A tentative draft of bill to carry
out President RooSevelt's recon-
mendation for lending or leasing
war materials to the democratic
governments abroad has been pre-
pared by congressional experts, it
was learned today. and has been or
will soon be submitted to President
Roosevelt for his consideration.
The congressional leaders are seek
ing to speed this legislation in every
possible way, believing it is essential
to give aid to Great Britain, China
and Greece.
In what form the aid-to-Britain
bill will finally emerge is still a
matter Of conjecture, it was said
today. One proposal is that the
Pittman Act, put through last June
as an aid to Latin republics, will be
selected as the vehicle for putting
into effect the Presidents "lease-
lending" plan. Another looks to an
amendment of the Neutrality Act.
Lump Sum Proposed.
Congressional leaders said today
that one thing, at least, appeared to
be determined. The President is to
ask for a lump sum. probably S10,-
900 900 900. to be used for national
defense. From this sum, the money
required to purchase war materials,
including ships and planes, to be
loaned to the British and the other
democratic nations, will be drawn.
An important House Democrat said
he considered it the only practicable
way of handling the matter. He
said he believed it would be unwise
for Congress to attempt to say just
what amounts should be appro-
priated for Britain, China or Greece,
and how they should be used.
Several other knotty problems
must be solved before the legislation
is submitted to the House and the
Senate. One of them is how the
"lease-lend" plan is to be admin
istered Whether the agency hand
ling this business shall be newly
created corporation of the Govern
ment or some agency already
constituted is the question.
From a purely mechanical point
of view, the leaders are still in
quandary over which of the stand
ding committees of the House is to
handle the measure. 1t was pointed
out that the Committee on Banking
and Currency, the Foreign Affairs
Committee, the Ways and Means
Committee or the Appropriations
Committee might claim Jurisdiction,
depending on the form in which
the bill is finally drafted.
Leaders Insist on Speed.
One thing upon which the leaders
are insisting, urged on by President
Roosevelts address to Congress and
their own knowledge of the situation
abroad, is speed.
1t is believed the bill when it is
finally whipped into shape will give
the President authority to send any
kind or any part of the Army and
Navy's equipment that the British
may need. provided our own military
and naval authorities believe that it
can be done without impairing too
greatly the national defense of this
country
The Pittman Act seems a logical
vehicle for the proposed new legis-
lation. 1t authorizes the President,
in his discretion, to authorize the
Secretary of War and the Secre-
tary of the Navy to aid the American
republics in building up their mill
tary and naval establishments. Un-
der the provisions of the act the Sec
retary of War is authorized to con-
struct and sell equipment and the
Secretary of the Navy to construct
war vessels for any of these Amerl-
can governments.
As the Pittman Act now stands,
there is limitation on the kind OF
equipment which may be sold. The
limitation is to coast defense and
anti aircraft material Another pro-
vision is that no contract authorized
shall result in expense to the United
States nor involve the extension of
credits by the United States.
1t is clear that the Presidents plan
for aid to Britain runs counter to
some of these provisions, and that
they would have to be changed.