AID BILL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24506, 15 January 1941, Page 7

AID BILL

PASSAGE ASSURED PRESIDENT'S POWERS LIMITATION PROBABLE PERIOD QF EMERGENCY (United Press Association) • (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright; \ .'WASHINGTON, Jan. 13. (Received Jan, .14, at 11 p.m.) 'A message from Hyde Park states that President Roosevelt is. coming to Washington to-night to await Congressional action on the Aid Bill. Sources close to the President, have indicated that Mr Roosevelt feels that the Administration has sufficient votes in Congress to secure the passage of the ; Bill Without his direct intervention. Accordingly, Mr Roosevelt has remained aloof from the controversy, declining even to comment on Mr Wendell Willkie's endorsement, though unofficially he has expressed his gratification. The House upheld the Speaker's decision directing that the Aid Bill should ; go before the Foreign Affairs Committee rather than the Military Committee, the chairman of which claimed the transfer. Hearings on the Bill will begin to-morrow. The Speaker of the House, Mr S. Rayburn, indicated to the press that the Administration would not oppose the effort to limit the Presidential powers for the period of the current emergency. Constructive Suggestions Senator M. McCormick said there were " a couple of constructive . suggestions" among the proposed revisions of the Bill, and he added: "Cons'ructive suggestions are always in order." The press asked Mr Cordell Hull whether he would see Mr Willkie before he went to England. He replied that he\ would be glad to talk, but it was "up to" Mr Willkie, who was an " outstanding figure and leader of Dublic thought." Plane Production Mr A. N. Vinson, chairman of the Naval Affairs Committee, said the testimony before the House Naval Committee indicated that the, goal of the 50.000 planes, a year woifld be impossible of achievement unless the latest improvements were sacrificed in favour of quantity production. He said that goal might be .realised if it was possible to standardise aircraft periodically, but in that case all the.'planes would" 1 not embody the most modern changes. ,/'"- .;•. He based his remarks on the-testi-mony of Mr Burdette Wright, vicepresident of Curtiss Wright, who. said: "You cannot' standardise unless the other fellow does, likewise." , £ Mr Vinson commented: "On. that basis it will be impossible, not,. only to turn out 50,000 annually, but even to produce 36,000, which should be reached by the summer of 1942." : ' JAPANESE PRESS COMMENT TOKIO, Jan. 13. (Received Jan. 14, at 11 p.m.) An editorial in the Asahi Shimbun predicting the passage of the Aid Bill in the. United States Senate said: "While no doubt the Bill's chief objective is to aid. Britain,. it is very noteworthy that''it' enables arms.aid for all democracies warring with the totalitarian Powers. It;, is the .'right time for Japan fully to prepare';for the worst'.", .'. - '" •■ ■: ;