Evening star., 1941-02-20


niflcant not merely in the small
countries which have been con-
quered, but inside Germany itself.
For when in the midst of a great
war a nation far away from the
struggle interpretS its neutrality in
such benevolent fashion as the
American Government will be doing
by making the lease-lend bill into
law there is bound to be a lift to
the morale of all the peoples who
want to see freedom restored and
relationships vanquiShed.
Various Amendments Expected.
The chances of a powerful demon
stration by Congress in behalf of
the bill are growing. When the de-
bate in the Senate is about con-
cluded there will be various amend
mentS offered to remove objections
and suspicious raised by opponents
of the measure. The House of Rep
resentativeS then will have an op-
portunity to accept the Senate
amended measure. Many Republi-
cans who voted against the bill in
its original form will have an oppor-
tunity to accept the new proposal
That's the time when the Republican
party can make its demonstration of
unity and support in a matter of
paramount interest in foreign policy
There is ample precedent for a
united vote, because parties in the
past have rarely allowed foreign
policy questions to divide them.
ShreWd party leaders have always
refused to allow foreign policy to
become partisan issues. During the
last World War the Republicans
co-operated with the Democratic
administration throughout In this
instance the President made the
mistake of failing to consult Re-
pubncans when the measure was
drafted, but he has since adopted
non-partisan attitude toward the
legislation and has heartily well
coined to his side Republican sup
port.
While there has been much en-
phasis on the fact that the Repub-
licans have been lined up against
that stanch Republicans, like Rep
reSentative WadsUorth in the
House and Senator Austin of Ver-
mont in the Senate, have stood
steadfaStly by the lease-lend prof.
ect. The support of Wendell Willkie
has been a factor in turning the
Republicans away from blind parti-
E7Nyn ctN6
publican measure in the House was
In fact an aid-to-B Britain bill, for
1t proposed to give about S20OO,-
100000 to Britain for war weapons.
This is coming long distance from
the Republican position of a year
ago and from the constant harping
on old war debts which used to
come from the Republican side.
Committed to Principle.
Since the Republicans are now
committed to the principle of aid
to Britain, and there is going to be
a similar measure offered in the
Senate to make funds available
outright to Britain, it would not
seem to be difficult for the Republi-
can party as whole to support
the amended lend and lease bill.
1t is congressional custom to fight
for ones own proposal as long as
possible and then when a confer
ence report comes up on final pas
sage to vote for it rather than be
recorded as against the principle
of the measure itself.
A national movement looking
toward the enrolment of as many
Republicans as possible for the
leaSe-lend bill not only can stimu-
late the morale of the free peoples
all over the world. because an over
Uhelming vote will be accepted as
a demonstration of Americas feel
ing, but it would save the Republi-
can party from the embarrassment
which may follow if in the 1912
election foreign issues are still domi-
nant, and 1t looks now as if they
will be.
The fact that the passage of the
bill is assured has caused many a
citizen to refrain from writing to
his Senator or representative, but
the suggestion made by Wendell
Willkie, namely, that the measure
ought to be passed by a virtually
unanimous vote If possible, is not
going to be fulfilled unless the peo-
pie back home ask their Republican
members of the House and Senate
to be recorded in favor of the lease
lend bill on final passage.
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