American Proposals

Evening Post, Volume CXXXI, Issue 9, 11 January 1941, Page 9

American Proposals

SWEEPING POWERS FOR

CVN

Qmicfc Action Urged

LONDON, January 10.

Leadersi-of the United States Administration today introduced simultaneously in both Houses of Congress President Roosevelt's plan for further aid for the Afties. They asked Congress to give the President swopping powers to transfer Americanmade military- equipment to Britain and the other warring democracies.

The main points of. the Bill, which is known as the British Aid Bill, are:—■

The President <otf the United States will be empowered to manufacture in arsenals, factories, or shipyards any defence article for a Government or country whose defence he regards as vital to the defence of the United States'.

The President vjrill be able to sell, transfer, exchanges, lease, or lend any ckifence article to any such €fovernment. It.will be possible for the President to release for export any defence article ii» any such Government. The testing, inspection, repairing, or reconditioning of any defence article can be carried out in the United States for any such Government. Congressional leaders point out that this provision means that repairs* could be made to defence articles even if they were not in the United States. The Bill also gives $he President the right to communicate to any Government inftwrmation regarding the defence articles manufactured in Unite id States arsenals, factories, or shipyards.

Before the introduction of tllse Bill the President asked for quick actioi for his lease-lend programme. Th broad powers the Bill gave him1, h said, were needed to avoid delay,,. A a Press conference earlier, the 3*resi dent said he did not necessarily wan the powers given him in the Bill, ,bx\ somebody would have to have ti&er so that rapid action could be taken He added that the Latin-AmersictH nations as well as the democratic at war would, if necessary, bemefi from die plan. In a statement issued by Couj gTessional leaders it was pointed oie that the provision in regard to repairs was broad enough to permit the us< of any United States military, naval or air base to do fitting out and repairing. For instance, a damaged British battleship could be repaired in the Brooklyn naval yard if the President considered it in the interests of United States national defence to do so. Mr. Koosevelt said that speed was essential in enacting the new law because it related primarily to new orders which, needed many months before they could be completed. Senator Barclay, the leader of the Democratic 'majority a:in the Senate, estimated that from £500,000,000 tc £1,250,000,000 might be appropriated this year to finance the Bill, and thai the eventual cost of the plan woulc exceed £2,500,000,000. It would percnii the President to make available tc British, and Allied nations designs blue prints, and other information foi using particular equipment, but he added that as the United States woulc order from the British Governmeni only the materials which the Unitec States army and navy could ase, this meant that "we shall be producing the same materials for our friends a! for ourselves.".

Senator Barclay revealed that the House of Representatives and the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee were to consider the legislation simultaneously in order to speed up the passage of the Bill. It is estimated by Congressional leaders that the Bill will be ready for the President's signature within a month or five Weeks.

The President announced today that he had signed a proclamation placing copper, zinc, nickel, brass, bronze, and potash under export licence, which would be effective from February 3. The United- States needed these materials for defence, he said. "