Measure Applies to 84 Vessels Lying Idle in merican Harbours; Amendment Defeated Washington, May 16.
IHE Senate, y a vole of 59 to 20, yesterday passed a bill authori ug President Roosevelt to requisition and use as he sees fit 84 f eign ships immobilized in United States ports.
The vessels include the French liner normandie, 28 Italian d two Germans vessels. been seized by US.
The Italian and German ships previously Coast Guardsmen because of sabotage tage of debate Senator Democrat of Oklahoma, urged President to proclaim a ate of ar emergency and use the avy a!
1 the Air Force "in the most The amendment sponsored by Senator Vandenberg and also Senator Bennett Champ Clark, Democrat of Missouri, was defeated by a 43 38 vote, effective manner po: defence of the Wes!
The bill now goes ible to guarantee m Hemisphere." to the House of Representatives for conference on Provocative Act nur H. Vandenberg, of Michigan, during a behalf of his defeated igned prevent ships seized from one belligerent to another's flag—contended that any transfer of Axis ships to Britain would "be a provoca-ye act of war."
Senator Walter F. George, Democrat Georgia and Chairman of the ate Foreign Relations Committee, ted that the U.S. needs tonnage urgently as if "there had been 3 declaration of war between the United States and the Axis.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.