CONGRESS DELAY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 8 March 1941, Page 5

CONGRESS DELAY

ENACTING OF AID BILL WILL SLOW DOWN DELIVERY OF MATERIAL. STATEMENT BY PRESIDENT. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) | (Received This Day, 9.35 a.m.) WASHINGTON, March 7. President Roosevelt said today: “Congressional delay in enacting the Lend and Lease Aid Bill inevitably will slow down the delivery of war materials to the embattled Democracies.” DANGEROUS TACTICS MAY BRING DICTATORSHIP. (Received This Day, 9,35 a.m.) CAMBRIDGE (Massachusetts), March 7. In letters to Senators Walsh and Lodge, Mr. Compton, President of the Massachusetts Technology Institute, predicts that further delay in disposing the Lend and Lease Aid Bill will bring a dictatorship to this country. Delays and tactics which would be tolerated in normal times become intolerable in an emergency. NAVAL PERSONNEL PROVISION FOR INCREASE. WASHINGTON, March 6. The Naval Committee of the House of Representatives unanimously approved legislation authorising a permanent enlisted strength of 232,000 for the navy and an emergency strength of 300,000. President Roosevelt today received the new Polish Ambassador, M. Jan Ciechanowski, and warmly commended the valiant efforts that are being made by the refugee Government for defence and freedom. The Secretary of the Interior, Mr Ickes, has approved the transfer to Britain of 500,000 cubic feet of helium, that was originally ordered by France. DANISH SHIPS PROPOSAL FOR TAKING OVER. WASHINGTON, March 6. The Maritime Commission informed Congressional leaders that it desires to take over 36 Danish ships in American ports. The negotiations between private American and Danish shipowners broke down because of the impossibility of insuring the ships and their cargoes,. but if the Commission secures charters it can insure them by Government fund. However, the authority of Congress will be necessary.

LABOUR PROBLEMS STRIKES HOLDING UP WORK ON DEFENCE. NO SOLUTION YET FOUND. (Received This Day, 10.10 a.m.) WASHINGTON, March 7. President Roosevelt told a Press conference today that he was absolutely opposed to jurisdictional labour strikes, which are holding up several phases of the national defence programme. Mr. Roosevelt feels that the country as a whole does not approve, in any shape ■or form, of a jurisdictional strike, such as the American Federation of Labour walkout at Dayton, which had slowed down the most important work of the Wright Field expansion programme. Mr. Roosevelt added that he had not found a solution, but was convinced of the necessity for establishing overall Federal mediation mechanism to handle the problems of labour.'

NATIONAL GUARD ADDITIONAL SERVICE IN VIEW. WAR DEPARTMENT DEMANDS. (Received This Day. 9.35 a.m.) WASHINGTON, March 7. The War Department intends to ask Congress for authority to keep the National Guard in service for an additional six month! or a year. Demobilisation after the conclusion of the current year might create a serious situation because of the shortage of trained manpower to train selective service recruits called to the colours under the continuous process. Some difficulties would be offset by the expansion of the regular army, which now totals 500,000 officers and men. General Marshall, Chief-of-State, feels that a second year’s service for the National Guard is advisable in the light of the present international outlook and considers a minimum of six months indispensable. He expects 1,418,000 men to be in the service by the end of June.