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Show EM STRESSES BIUSM'I REDS I Plan Rewritten With Clause Against Convoys Provision to End Life of Measure j June 30, T943, Highlights Secret Session of Foreign Affairs Group By WILLIAM S. NF.AL WASHINGTON", Jan. 29 (INS) The house foreign affairs committee, in secret session, Wednesday, rewrote President Roosevelt's lease-lend bill to declare against convoying, require periodical reports to congress and to end the life of the pro- posed law June 30, 1943. The provision on convoying was reported to have read: "Nothing tn this act shall be construed as giving the president power to order or-der convoying of merchant ships into belligerent waters." It was stated that some com-' com-' mittee members contended that the president already has the power to order U. S. warships to convoy, but that the new provision provi-sion would have the effect of putting put-ting congress on record against him exercising such power. A fourth restriction would make It necessary for the president to consult with ranking army and navy officials before transferrin any defense materials to another nation. Committee members said their action was tentative and subject to a final vote later. Committee Chairman Bloom (D.. N. Y. told reporters the measure would probably prob-ably be reported to tha house Thursday afternoon. Would Require Reports The presidential reports to congress con-gress which would be required under the modified version of the bill would have to be made every 60 to 90 days. Those who attended the session said that there was marked harmony har-mony between Republican and Democratic members In consider-. consider-. ing the restrictions, all of which had been drafted by the Democrats. Demo-crats. The . action came as the senate foreign relations committee heard Secretary of War Stlmson warn that the United States "unprepared "unpre-pared and unarmed" faces a "thoroughly prepared and armed potential enemy" in Germany. The Republican cabinet member said flatly that' he was opposed 10 congress amending the bill to to prohibit convoying by American warships, and agreed that the legislation leg-islation clearly aJlows foreign warships to obtain repairs in American shipyards. Concede Power He conceded that the measure would authorize the president to give away military secrets to (CootlutiM) on Pr Four) (Column Or i HOUSE COMMITTEE PUTS LIMIT ON LIFE OF LEASE-LEND PLAN OeathMd freaa Paa On) ether powers, although he Insisted Insist-ed that this did not mean that the army's famed secret bomb-sight bomb-sight would be released. On the subject of convoying, he took stand In opposition to a strict prohibition being sponsored try Democratic members of the house foreign affairs committee, because, he explained, "no one can foretell the course of war." Opposing Inclusion of provision provi-sion In the bill naming countries to be aided, Stimson hinted of possible pos-sible aid to "free French" forces or British forces In Africa. "For Instance, would congress think to name portions of Africa be aided?" Stimson said. "Yet ttat might presently be vital.". " Obviously referring to Japan, the outspoken secretary said that the United States vitally needs "the protection of British sea power in the north Atlantic while our own fleet Is busy protecting us In the Pacific from another threatening nation there." Stimson said passage of the bill permitting President Roosevelt to turn war supplies and munitions over to England would "go far" toward helping the British "survive "sur-vive the crisis of this spring and summer." ' Predicts intimate Solution If Britain gets through the next few months, he predicted "an ultimate solution in favor of the democracies." I The axis powers cannot Indefinitely In-definitely hold even the European world in subjugation," he de-- de-- clared. "Sooner or later the inevitable in-evitable reaction against such slavery will come." On two broad grounds the secretary sec-retary urged approval of the legislation: leg-islation: 1. That it would "create order or-der out of the disorder which has existed for nearly two years in the manufacture of munitions muni-tions in this country" by centralizing cen-tralizing war purchases. 2. That the value of weapons weap-ons may be measured in terms "more flexible than hard cash-In cash-In particular in terms of the iver -all benefit to the United States." Stimson branded as "short sighted" all attempts to put aid to Britain on the basis of an ordinary ordi-nary loan. "We are not seeking to make a loan to Great Britain," he declared de-clared vehemently. "We are really seeking to purchase her id In our defense. "We are buying not lending. We are buying our own security while we prepare. By our de-lay de-lay during the past six years while Germany was preparing, we find ourselves unprepared and unarmed, un-armed, facing a thoroughly prepared pre-pared and armed potential enemy. "Wt are forced to buy the time necessary to arm and protect ourselves our-selves and wt are buying time from the only nation which can sell us that time. "We arc buying the protection which Is accorded us by the continuance con-tinuance of the British sea power in the north Atlantic while our own fleet is busy protecting us in the Pacific from another threatening threat-ening nation there." 8limons 4000-word prepared statement was supplemental to another an-other long statement which he made last week before the house foreign affairs committee while that group was considering the measure. Terms Situation Worse, In Ute earlier statement he termed the situation today "much more serious than 1917," and urged approval of the bill as a help "to those whose defense Is a matter of vital importance to us." Expanding his Ideas, Stimson said the bill, by coordinating munitions purchases, would be "a long step in the direction of efficiency, economy and, above all, speed. "Perhaps one of the best results will be postponement of the decision deci-sion as to which weapons shall be retained by ourselves and which weapons will be allowed to go to other nations," he declared. The Republican cabinet official said that Britain now, as a result of being cut off from her normal European trade, has "barely enough cash for the payment of her existing orders." Stimson said that an attempt to "drive a hard bargain for cash" would be "laying the seeds of a future fu-ture economic dislocation which would return to plague us for years after the war Is over." "In our own interest It is good national policy to preserve a hard-fighting hard-fighting Britain a Britain which has not been ground down by hard bargains sapping Its resources," he declared. The secretary frankly termed Britain's situation as "serious" and said that collapse of the BritUh Isles would "Involve not only the security of the north Atlantic, but the south Atlantic and South America as well." Stimson 'said In some respects the bill grants extraordinary powers pow-ers to the president, but he insisted: in-sisted: "Will any responsible person deny that the nation is confronted by an emergency of extraordinary proportions calling for extraordinary extraordi-nary powers T" Meanwhile, Republican leaders were working on proposed amendments amend-ments to the bill, and the administration admin-istration was reported to be reedy to make further concessions in order or-der to Insure Its speedy passage. |