passinevr Roosevelt, through his secretary Mr. Stephen Early, Washington, Mar. 5.
yesterday struck at opponents of the "aid to Democracies" bill.
The Presidential condemnation of those who are trying to obstruct passage of the bill came as the Senate prepared to debate amendments to ihe bill and amid renewed warnings that Japan menaced America and American interests, Senator Robert F. Wagner, Democrat of New York, although ill and unable to appear in the Senate issued
ill.
pavement favouring passage of the If Britain fell, Senator Wagner said, the United States would be confronted by Japan in the PaciSc controlling the Dutch East Indies and vital tin and rubber resources.
Japan, Senator Wagner said, was pursuing a "frank policy of unlimited expansion throughout Oceania."
The statement by Mr. Early charged that sources opposing the Bill were seeking to confuse, mystify and inject poison into national defence establishments.
The statement particularly referred to rumours that following enactment of the Bill leading members of the National Defence Board and the Office of Production Management would resign and President Roosevelt would take over management of British gid machinery.
The rumours said that President Roosevelt, assisted by Mr. Harry Hopkins, would select a Cabinet group, for control of aid machinery.
Mr. Early said the rumour was "perfectly silly and poisonous trouble-making."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.