Washington, June 2.
Congress on Saturday night approved the final phases of President Roosevelt's $5,000,000,000 defence programme and also levied $1,500.000,000 in new taxation to meet the defence expenditures over a five-year period.
Congress later declared a recess for a week because of the Republican Convention which opens today in Philadelphia where a bitter struggle is anticipated among the three major presidential candidates, Mr. Thomas Dewey, New York District Attorney, Senator Robert Taft, of Ohio, and Mr. Wendel Willkie, utilities executive.
The possibility that some dark horse may win the Republican Presidential nomination was seen last night as prospects of a deadlock among the leading candidates increased.
"Blitzkrieg Campaign"
Mr. Willkie, head of one of the nation's largest public utilities companies, in a "blitzkrieg campaign" last week showed surprising strength, obtaining the support of an influential section of the press, including the Scripps-Howard chain of newspapers.
President Roosevelt's appointment Col. Frank Knox and Col Henry Stimson, Republicans, to his Cabinet last week injected a discordant element into the Republican campaign arrangements and delayed preparation of the Republican platform.
The Republican election platform is expected to be completed only a few hours before the Republican delegates are called to order in Philadelphia to-Gay.
The struggle between Republican isolationists and those favouring all aid to the Allies short, of war continued unabated yesterday in the Philadelphia convention ranks as party leaders sought to devise some programme which would receive the support of both sides—United Press.
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