HELP FOR BRITAIN

Wairarapa Times-Age, 8 February 1941, Page 5

HELP FOR BRITAIN

PROGRESS ON AMERICAN BILL SUBSTITUTE MEASURE THROWN OUT. TIME LIMIT APPROVED. 'By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright ! WASHINGTON. February 6. The House of Representatives adopted a Foreign Affairs Connnirtee amendment making the Lend and Lease Bill effective till -June 30. 1943. in the meantime President Roosevelt is empowered till the same date to give all authorised aid to Britain and enter into contracts for such aid to be completed not later titan -Line 30. 1940. By 206 votes to 145 the House defeated a Republican substitute Bill aimed at limiting expenditure on aid to Britain to 2.000.000.000 dollars. An amendment introduced by a Republican member. Mr. Melvin J. Maas, authorising the President to buy all British possessions in the Western Hemisphere except Nova Scotia and Canada for 16.000.000.000 dollars was thrown out on the ground that it was not connected with the issue.

An amendment authorising transfers of United States army and navy equipment to Britain only after consultaI tion with the military and naval chiefs was adopted. The House tentatively inserted a provision in the Bill 'enabling Congress to terminate the presidential powers conferred by it at any time by majority approval of a resolution in both Houses. This is known as a concurrent resolution and does not require the President’s signature to become law. FURTHER CHANGES OPPOSED BY DEMOCRATIC LEADERS. UNLESS APPROVED BY COMMITTEE. (Received This Day. 10.0 a.m.) WASHINGTON. February 7. The Speaker, Mr H. Rayburn, announced to the House of Representatives that the Democratic leaders will oppose any further amendments to the Lend and Lease Bill, except those approved by the Foreign Affairs Committee. Thus they will oppose a measure, shortly being introduced by Mr Wadsworth, limiting aid to Britain to the value of 7,000,000,000 dollars. The Senate Foreign Affairs Committee is due to conclude its Opposition hearings tomorrow, with Mr Landon, after which Mr La Guardia will begin giving evidence in favour of the Bill. The hearing will be concluded on Monday, with Mr Wendell Willkie's testimony. Opponents of the Bill in the Senate, led by Senator Bennett Clark, are preparing io make a big fight when the Senate debate begins next week, to secure the removal of the provision enabling belligerent warships to use United States ports for repairs.