Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-21
7 Billion
Bid S+irs
Weird Quiz
Congressman Give Up
After Vague Response
BY PAUL MALLON


WASHINGTON, March 21.-
w The strangest congressional
hearing in many a legislative
day was the HHouse appropria-
tons subcommittee inquiry to
determine if Mr.. Roosevelts re-
quest for S7000,000,000 aid is
justified.
War Secretary Stimson was
called TO exude official admins
tration light on the subject. He
testified:
"In the first place the British
submitted a confidential list
some months ago of their re-
quirements," but he was hay
about il. conceding 10 minutes
later the list was furnished
about a month ago as i recall
it,"
Asked Republican Representa-
tive Taber:
HAS a program been laid out
to gef-fhe things you have in
mind, or Is IL expected that you
will supplement 1t later"
THAT is subject, Mr.. Taber,
to so many contingencies of war
almost impossible to answer 1t
exactly"
Mr.. Knudsen, the production
boss, was called.
I'VE have a preliminary sched-
ule," he said; 1--WE have sort of
forecast covering the $1,000
100000, but it Is not in final
FORM"
Representative Cannon asked
what credit this government
would get for the materials, and
whether they would be inven-
toried at the cost of produc-
ton. MIR. Knudsen replied:
81 haven't the faintest idea
BUDGET DIRECTOR SMITH
- was called. He was asked
how the expenditure would be
supervised.
81 do not think that has been
finally determined" said Mr..
Smith. "but 1t is my understand
ing there will be some kind of
a policy committee, probably
consisting of cabinet officers
who will work at this program
in relation to their own"
Representative Ludlow:
"Where will the records of
this vast transfer of material
be kept? In your office"
81 don't know exactly what
sort of system we will have, but
the original records will be kept
in the departments, with some
provision for centralizing sum-
maries."
FTER an hour or so of this,
"A the congressman gave up. 1t
was apparent that Hitler is not
the only one to be left in the
dark about what is afoot. The
administration refrained so
carefully from fitting its hand.
that the congressional leaders
found it difficult to muster justi-
flying material for the open
House debate.
Sedate Chairman Woodrum Of
the House appropriations COM
mittee solved the problem by
avoiding the mundane matter
of fighting implements to the
stars as follows:
A0h freedom. Thou art not rs
poets dream,
"a fair young girl with light
and delicate limbs,
"And wavy tresses rushing from
the cap, etc, etc,
(BuD "a bo,.rded man
armed to the teeth"
That settled that.
MIR. WOODRUFF also settled
1'l the matter of where the
S7,000,000,000 is to come from in
accordance with the formula in
his subcommittee hearings. In
his speech he asked himself:
How are we going to pay the
bill" And he answered himself;
81 do not know"
THE treasury department re-
L Gently ordered many thou
sands of zinc address plates.
These were 10 be used to adj
dress packages of propaganda
promoting sales of baby bonds
to finance the defense program.
The department was soon
shocked TO hear that Mr.. Knud-
sens OPM declined to let them
have their zinc plates.
Reason: That much zinc would
supply 10 bombers, and the
bombers are more important
than address plates designed 10
sell bonds to raise the money for
purchase of the bombers.
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