HELP FROM AMERICA

Waikato Times, Volume 128, Issue 21366, 10 March 1941, Page 5

HELP FROM AMERICA

LEND OR LEASE BILL PASSED FINAL SIGNATURE PROBABLE THIS WEEK POWERS OF PRESIDENT AMENDMENTS ADOPTED (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) WASHINGTON, March 9 Following 17 days of debate, President Roosevelt’s “Lend-or-Lease” Bill last night was passed by the United States Senate by 60 votes to 31. The bill, the full title of which is “An Act to promote the defence of the United States, ’ will now have to be returned to the House of Representatives for the formal acceptance of changes made by the Senate, after which it will be sent to President Roosevelt for his signature. Senate messengers will carry the bill to the House at noon tomorrow. The Speaker, Mr S. Rayburn, hopes to obtain the consent of the House to the 11 amendments by Tuesday. It is expected that Mr Roosevelt will be able to sign the bill by the middle of the week.

Amendments Repelled As the bill approached its last stages in the Senate its main provisions remain unchanged from the form in which it was originally introduced, although its language had been drastically overhauled. Members of the Senate debated far into Friday night as Administration forces successfully repelled successive amendments, most of which were designed to restrict the President’s power to send troops outside the Western Hemisphere or to order the navy to convoy shipments to Britain or to any point within the zone which the President has proclaimed a combat zone. Isolationists made their biggest fight on the proposal to limit the President’s power in regard to moving troopships outside the Western Hemisphere. The bill as it stood late on Friday night authorised the President “when he deems it in the interests of national defence” to exercise broad powers for the procurement of defence the President deems vital to the defence of the United States.” A defence article was defined as any weapon, munition, aircraft, vessel, boat, machinery, or tool, or material, the supply of which was necessary for the production or repair Of such defence article. Powers of President Power was granted to the President as follows: 1. To order the manufacture and procurement, with funds made available by Congress, of any de- j fence article. 2. To dispose of these defence articles to such Governments by lease, loan, transfer of title, exchange, or otherwise. 3. To test, repair or recondition any defence articles, including warships, for such Governments. 4. To furnish such Governments with any defence information, plans, or blue prints pertaining to j defence articles furnished. 5. To release these defence articles for export, but not to , transport them. 6. To purchase or otherwise acquire arms and implements of | war produced within the juris- j diction of such country whenever the President deems such purchase * or acquisition in the interests of ' United States defence. The Senate on the voices adopted an amendment by Mr A. W. Barkley (Democrat, Kentucky) to include farm products in defence materials that may be transferred abroad. Mr Barkley said the 1.300,000.000 dollar limitation, on defence stocks that could be sent abroad did not apply to farm products. The House of Representatives passed the bill on February 8 by 260 votes to 165. Counting of Votes The 60 members of the Senate who voted in favour of the “Lend-or-Lease” Bill were made up as follows: —Democrats, 49; Republicans, 10; Independent, 1. The 31 who voted against the measure comprised:—Democrats, 13; Republicans, 17; Progressive, 1. The Senate unanimously accepted an amendment by Mr James Davis (Democrat) *to authorise the President to use private agencies to test defence materials. The Senate shouted down an amendment moved by Mr R. A. Taft (Republican) to forbid the use of American ports to British warships needing repairs. The final vote was delayed when Mr Gerald Nye (Republican) rose to make his fourth set speech against the bill, having already spoken 11 hours. From the Right side of the House came cries of “Vote, vote.” This angered Mr Nye. who suggested that policemen should be assigned to quieten the galleries and also posted an the floor of the House. He said that if he had the physical stamina he would engage in a oneman filibuster and, if he thought it would defeat the bill, he would undertake the task cheerfully. WAR ITEMS The Foreign Office is permitting ex-King Carol of Rumania to stay indefinitely in Portugal. A German communique states that a U-boat reports having sunk five enemy merchantmen, totalling 33.000 tons.

POWERS RESTRICTED DISPOSAL OF ARTICLES AUTHORITY OF PRESIDENT OPERATIONS UNDER BILL (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) WASHINGTON, March 8 President Roosevelt's powers to conduct such operations as are specified in the “Lend-or-Lease” Bill are restricted by the following provisions:— (1) No defence articles belonging to United States military establishments may be disposed of except after consultation with the Army or Navy chiefs of staffs or the chief of naval operations. (2) The total value of the articles disposed of from the United States’ own military establishment shall not exceed 1,300,000,000 dollars, with the value of each articlo to be determined by the head of the United States department concerned. (3) The terms and conditions on which the President disposes of the articles may be determined by him—it may consist of repayment in kind or other property, “or any other direct or indirect benefit which the President deems satisfactory.” (4) The President’s powers shall expire on June 30, 1943, or they can at any time be terminated by a concurrent expression by Congress that such powers are no longer necessary to the defence of the United States. 1 (5) The recipient Government may j not give or transfer possession to i another country of any articles received from the United States. (6) The President must report to Congress at least once every 90 days on the operations under the “Lend-or-Lease” Act. (7) All procurement of new articles for a foreign Government must be i from appropriations made by Congress or under contracts authorised | by Congress. Right to Declare War In addition to the foregoing, the I Senate adopted the following I “ psychological safeguards ” as inj tegral parts of the legislation:— (1) No authorisation is implied for | convoying vessels by United States ! warships. ! (2) No permission is implied for the entry of United States vessels into belligerent zones previously proscribed by the President. (3) No change is intended in the existing laws covering the use and disposition of the land and naval forces of the United States—in other words, reserving the right to declare war. GRANARIES FULL HELP FOR DEMOCRACIES MR ROOSEVELT AND FARMERS limited Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) (Received March 10, 11 a.m.) , WASHINGTON, March 9 President Roosevelt has sent a | message to farmers on the eighth i anniversary on the New Deal farm i programme. j “ United States agriculture is in I splendid condition to play a full part jin national defence,” he said. “ Our j granaries are full and our stores of J food and fibre are adequate to meet j the needs at home and the needs of | friends in other i\rds who are fight- ; mg for their existence on behalf of | all the democratic forms. “The Government is against j world control by dictators." STORAGE OF FOOD SCHEME IN AUSTRALIA READY FOR EMERGENCY J NEARLY £6,000.000 WORTH ! iUnited Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) I (Received March 10. 12.35 p.m.) SYDNEY, March 10 I Nearly E6.000..000 worth of food J supplies will be stored throughout Australia under a scheme to provide rations for the civil population in an : emergency. I Stocks of the necessary foods will | be forwarded to the stores and reJ tailors who will be asked to keep j three months’ supplies.