Washington, May 8, The convoy issue yesterday again exploded in Congress as a warjittery capital awaited the President's next step in the "Battle of the Atlantic."
Developments included:
1. Passage by the House of Representatives of a measure authoriz~ ing the President to take over and use as he sees fit, 100 foreign merchantmen, 2, Announcement by Col. Frank Knox, Secretary of the Navy that the Navy' was taking over seagoing activities of the U.S. coast guard, 3. Col, Knox's disclosure that Britain had made a general request for further naval reinforcements of 115 small boats, Non-interventionists struck furiously at the Tuesday speech of Col. Henry L, Stimson, Secretary of War, They were especially indignant that President Roosevelt sanctioned the address,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.