DIVISION DETAILS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 November 1941, Page 5

DIVISION DETAILS

HEAVY ADVERSE VOTE CAST BY REPUBLICANS SOME DEMOCRATIC REBELS. CONCERNED OVER STRIKE ’ POSITION. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) WASHINGTON. November 13. The House of Representatives was packed when the momentous vote on the measure was taken. Members realised that not jsince the fateful night in 1917, when the United States entered the Great War had so much hung in the balance. ) Details of the voting were: — For revision: 189 Democrats, 22 Republicans, one American Labour. Against: 137 Republican, 53 Democrats, three Progressives, one Farmer’s Labour. The amendment was in jeopardy following the announcement yesterday by a strong group of southern Democrats that they would not support the measure and indications that others might follow this lead. The Congress rebels were stirred to opposition by President Roosevelt’s failure to deal with the widespread strikes in defence industries. The position became so serious that the Speaker, Mr Rayburn, called at the White House to urge Mr Roosevelt to make some commitment on the strike situation. The President is understood to have assured the rebels dhat he would bring down a labour control measure after the Neutrality Act had been revised. LEITER FROM PRESIDENT. In a letter which was read on the floor of the House by Mr Rayburn in an atmosphere of tenseness, President Roosevelt declared that if the revision measure was not carried foreign nations, friends and enemies, would misinterpret America's mind and purpose. Failure to repeal would cause rejoicing in the Axis nations and would bolster aggressive steps in Germany and other aggressor nations. “We could look forward to enthusiastic applause in those three nations, based on the claim that the United States is disunited, as they have so often professed,” the President declared. "The world- obviously is watching the course of this legislation. Failure to pass it would not destroy the defence or morale of the British Empire, China and Russia but it would weaken their position in food and munitions. Failure would weaken cur domestic situation and weaken our great effort to produce. Strikes and stoppages would become less serious in the public mind.” The vote was taken immediately after the President's letter had'been read. FINAL STEP TO WAR. In the course of the debate Representative Richards, who led the Democratic breakaway, said' the measure was equivalent to war by the back.

door of treachery to the United States. On the other hand, a Republican, Representative Tabor, said! “There are only two alternatives. One is to surrender, pay tribute and submit to alien domination. The other is to go out and win. I have nbt the slightest doubt that when the people understand they will choose to go out and win.” Other ’ representative voiced the view that the passage of the measure would be the final step to full-scale all-out undeclared war.