AID TO BRITAIN

Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 February 1941, Page 5

AID TO BRITAIN

PRESIDENT’S BILL BEFORE HOUSE

MR. LA FOLLETTE'S BITTER ATTACK.

ADVOCACY OF COMPROMISE PEACE.

• By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright • WASHINGTON. February 3. The public galleries were packed when the House of Representatives began the debate on the Aid To Britain Bill after approving a proposal for a ihree-day general debate. The galleries were warned not to applaud or express disapproval.

The chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Mr Sol Bloom, started the debate with an appeal for the passage of the Bill, and was followed by Mr Hamilton Fish, for the opposition, who described the measure as a “dictator war. and bankruptcy Bill." Mr Bloom said the Bill did not authorise the President to use American warships to convoy shipments of war materials. He said Mr Roosevelt already had this power under the Constitution.

Mr Philip La Follette, a former Governor of Wisconsin, giving evidence before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, opposed the Aid to Britain Bill. the ultimate effect of which, he said, would be to authorise American warships to convoy supplies to Britain. Mr La Follette said that the Bill vested President Roosevelt with the power of peace or war. Ho warned that “there is a danger that once we have become involved over our heads, thereby vastly increasing Britain’s bargaining power, we may have another Hoare-Laval deal and suddenly find ourselves quite alone and at war with the world

"We underestimate a large bloc of influential opinion, both in France and in Britain, which feels closer to Germany —and 1 mean Nazi Germany — than it docs to the United States.” Mr La Follette recalled the Dusseldorf agreement of February. 1939, which, he said, was entered into by British Tories and provided specifically for collaboration against the United States. "Remember that British industrialists are merely postponing the operation of that agreement for the duration of an emergency.” "I doubt if the English, who have withstood the worst bombing in history and have been offered only American dollars for their blood and sweat, will worry about America if and when what they think a reasonable peace comes their way,” said Mr La Follette. He added that Britain would be wise to make peace when she wanted to, since she would not win “without the help of an American expeditionary force and since no American spokesman would offer such aid.” Senator Wheeler requested the President to reveal the extent of the aid it was proposed to give to Britain and the extent of the American arms production already diverted to Britain. He asserted that he knew that fivesixths of the fighter planes produced in 1940 went to Britain. The Bill is expected to be passed by the House by the end of this week. It will then go to the Senate. The chairman of the Rules Committee described the Bill as purely a defensive measure rather than a war Bill. The Senate today passed President Roosevelt's Bill, which provides for the building of 200 merchant ships.

PETTY ALLEGATIONS LORD HALIFAX ACCUSED OF LOBBYING. ISOLATIONIST TACTICS. WASHINGTON. February 3. In the course of the debate on the Aid to Britain Bill in the House of Representatives Mr E. McK. Dirk sen demanded an explanation of Lord Halifax's visits to Mr Sol Bloom and Senator W. F. George, chairmen of the House and Senate Foreign Affairs Committees respectively. Mr Dirksen stated that if Lord Halifax made any disclosures Congress should be informed.

Mr Bloom replied sharply: “Lord Halifax called at my office. He did m>t sneak in and everybody knew about it. We had a nice talk, the main subject of which was the exhibiting of Magna Carla at the World's Fair." Mr Bloom added that the Lord Halifax inquired into the timetable of Congressional procedure on the Aid to Britain Bill

Republican members gutlawt-d at Mr Bloom’s explanation, after which Mr Dirksen said: “It is undeniable that it is extraordinarily unusual for an Ambassador to make contact with the chairman of a committee for the purpose of dr-cussing the Congressional timetable.” Mr Roy Howard’s newspaper, tin “World Telegram.” winch opposes the Bill, has on the fruit page a story from its Washington corresixmdvnt under the headlines. Pressure on Congress Resented “Indiscretion by Halifax Will Lo«- Most Votes for K-nd and Lease Bill The article described ’ ord Halifax’s visits to Mr Bloom and Senator George as “lobbying which Is resented by Cengreo ’ Tin- follows criticism by isolationist Amern a Fii.-t Commute. which contends that Lord Halifax s meeting with Mr Bloom and Senator George: arc highly impi-|x-r !'• -«-nt a gram to the Secretary of State M: ; (•,-.rdell Hull, requesting him to investigate the Ambassador conduct and. make the findings public.