Show Compromise Planned On War Powers Bill WASHINGTON Nov 19 UP The UP-The The The house ways and means committee moved ahead Thursday to prepare compromise legislation legislation legislation legis legis- lation giving the president limited authority to suspend tariff and immigration laws though high government officials had testified in favor of a broad I grant of power as requested by I Mr Roosevelt The committee voted Wednesday Wednesday Wednes Wednes- day to table the measure giving the president power to suspend at any time during the war any laws or regulations governing the movement movement movement move move- ment across American borders of persons property or information and ordered a subcommittee to to draft substitute legislation This action was taken after a ak af k f war ar department representative ki appearing along with Attorney General Biddle BiddIe and other high of officials of- of favoring the broad proad legislation legislation legislation legisla legisla- tion told the committee out all war cannot be successfully prosecuted prosecuted prose prose- under narrow and specific legislation Chairman Doughton D. D N N. C. C told reporters there was no chance of getting the original measure through congress because it was broader in its scope than is sary Jary Republican members had assailed assailed as as- sailed Jailed the measure as bordering on totalitarianism and some Democrats also had shied from it as delegating to the executive too much legislative power k Specify Indications were that the final draft on which a a- a starts work Friday would specify the extent to which the president could disregard existing laws in dealing with international tr traffic In a special message on November November November Novem Novem- ber 2 the president told congress It was urgent for the successful prosecution of the war that peacetime peacetime peacetime peace peace- time restrictions be removed and legislative obstacles impeding the war product n effort be set aside when necessary He asked for authority on a selective and flexible basis to suspend the operation operation opera opera- tion of all or any such laws High officials of pf the war navy justice treasury and state departments departments departments depart depart- ments as well as of the war shipping shipping shipping ship ship- ping administration and the tariff commission backed up the presidents president's presidents dents dent's stand at a closed committee meeting Wednesday contending generally that peacetime red tape surrounding movements into and out of this country must be c cast st aside for the duration Undersecretary of War Robert P. P P Patterson told the committee the legislation was drafted to fit the warA war A world-wide world out all-out war cannot cannot cannot can can- not be successfully prosecuted under under under un un- un- un der narrow and specific legislation legislation legislation legisla legisla- tion h hey hd- sale said Too little and too late has been the curse of I armies Too many and too restrictive restrictive restrictive tive l laws ws may well be as great a stumbling block While perhaps true that no other war pr president had been given such broad power Patterson declared declared declared de de- neither this country nor any other country ever has been engaged in a war like this one Our legislation mut must be geared to the tempo of this thIs not not some other other war Born of War WarThe WarThe The bill is born of war It willdie will willdie willdie die with the war he added Biddle in a statement released after he had testified to the committee com com- com committee in executive session said the president had no intention of exercising the powers power's granted by bythe bythe bythe the original legislation for any purpose not directly connected with our war wai effort Among examples which he cited to show the ne need d for the legislation legislation legislation legisla legisla- tion were The 8 8 head tax on each alien entering the country would be become become be- be come ridiculous when applied to prisoners of war Important missions of foreign officials and distinguished citizens of allied nations even when brought to this country by the theair theair theair air transport command have been delayed because of minor omissions omissions omissions omis omis- in their papers or to awa await t required inspection by officers of the immigration service Regulations governing the movement movement move move- ment of information in and out of the country country- should be suspended suspend suspend- ed when the president deems it necessary Biddle said on the ground that technical information inform information tion m must st be easily and quickly transferred between the United States and the allies aIlles |