OCR Text |
Show t- i CAPITAL GLEANINGS, -Henry Dworshakgfj YOUR CONGRESSMAN M " ft ;jiliti Diverse reactions greeted the president's annual messasfi 011 tlie state of the Union, delivered January Janu-ary G lo a joint congressional session. ses-sion. Domestic problems wen: inmost in-most completely obscured, as the executive outlined administration views on the world situation, and proclaimed that our country faced the greatest emergency in i's history. his-tory. After stressing the need ior siding the democracies, the president presi-dent said we should say to them: "We Americans are vitally concerned con-cerned in your defense of freedom. We are putting forth) our energies, our resources, and our organizing powers to give you the strength lo regain and maintain a free world. We shall send you. in ever-increasing numbers, ships, planes, tanks, cunc Tliic is nuv nnrnose and our pledge." When the budget message from the White House reached, congress two days later, it contained a recommendation rec-ommendation for this lend lease program, and a bill was introduced January 10 with no "ceiling'' and giving unlimited authority to the president. The budget total witn-out witn-out this item amounted to $17,485.-000 $17,485.-000 fon the 1942 fiscal year, of which $10,811.0(10,000 is for our ''total defense." This brings defense de-fense appropriations and authorizations authoriza-tions for 1940, 1941 and 1942 to $28,4SO,000,000. For the current year, the president pres-ident predicted a deficit of $G,1S9,-000, $G,1S9,-000, 000. and for the next fiscal year $9,210, 000, 000, visualizing a national debt of 65', billions on June 30, 1942. He also questioned the need ofi a statutory debt limit. The budget figures for department depart-ment of agriculture totaled $1, 013,-905, 013,-905, 493, or $187, 456, 390 less than this year. The budget provides $596, 711, 000 for benefit payments to farmers who cooperate with AAA crop control programs. The estimate for work relief is about 400, 000,000 under the current year's figure. 1 There is considerable constrrna tion in the capital because it is being recognized that our defense rep"iat:oii3 are largely "on order" Typifying this fact vvas the admission ad-mission of Admiral Towers, chief of naval aeronautics( before the house navaj, affairs committee recently, rec-ently, that plane deliveries are far behind schedule. He said that naval na-val air strength was only 2,590 planes, or 445 more than nine years ago, although the fleet expects to recieve about 4,000 planes during 1941. An authentic source in the capital reported that of 356 combat planes produced during a recent month 350 were shipped to Europe. Uncle Sam cannot defend himself with broomsticks or microphones. The lend-leas bill gives sweeping and unlimited powers to the president presi-dent to lease or give to Britain and other countries any assistance for which congress makes appropriations. appropria-tions. The bill also empowers the president to proceed notwithstanding notwithstand-ing the provisions of any ither law, which waives any possible restric- !tions in either the Johnson or Neutrality Neu-trality acts. The chief executive mentioned in his message to congress that support should be forthcoming for his foreign policies, "without regard re-gard to partisanship." This would indicate that the minority In congress con-gress would have some voice in the i program they are expected to support sup-port "patriotically." However, in capital newspapers of January 10, appeared pictures of a delegation 1 of legislative leaders who conferred with the president of this legislation. legisla-tion. It included four senators and four representatives, but all were Democrats. Thus, no. Republicans are given a voice in drafting the i lend-lease bill, meaning virtually 1 one-party government. The incon-... incon-... sistency of this procedure was quesioned even by majority members. mem-bers. Last Friday about 20' senators i and representatives from beet-pro-; dueing areas conferred with Secre-. Secre-. : tary of Agriculture Wickard on acreage, allotments for 1941. Sena-: Sena-: tors Thomas and Clark and your : ' congressman were present. The sugar section proposes to reduce i the 1940 acreage by about 17 per : cent, and the older producing areas f . wanted less than an average cut, ) ': contending that the sections like t . Idaho which have been making : great strides during the past fow i ; years and expanding should be giv . en more than an average cm-tails' ; ment. Each area from Michigan i ; to California askedv for special con- sideration, although all represen-j represen-j taives agreed that domestic sugar ! ! producers should be given a larger i share of the United S'ate3 ma.-- ket which cannot be effected un-f un-f ' til the Sugar Act of 1937, expiring 1 December 31, 1941, comes before congress. . The United States' stock of mone- tary gohi passed $22.0(i0,00i),0i0,0H0 mark on January 3, the treasiu v announced. This U 80 per com i,l lhe world's supply and i-ppresnils an increase or more I ban S4 fifi'i . 000,000 during the past y,.ar.' Wlui'l will happen wlien (his country ha 100 per .cenL of the world's Represenlative Treadwav of Mas sachusetts, ranking Republi.-an the house ways and means commit toe, on January S propos,.,l rrn tion of a congressional conimitlec to coordinate federal revriiues .,, expenditures. This group wul, i nonpartisan, with It; niembera ,!, sen from the senato appropriation, and ways and means. |