Aid for Lend-lease

Under Lend-Lease's bridge of ships, oceans of water had passed in two years. In the spring of 1941 the Lend-Lease Act produced one of the bitterest wrangles of the isolationist-interventionist debate. Last week Congress got ready to renew the Act in an atmosphere of love & kisses.

Manhattan's obliging Congressman Sol Bloom quietly dropped a bill into the hopper. Three days later, before Chairman Bloom's friendly Foreign Affairs Committee, Lend-Lease Administrator Edward R. Stettinius Jr. spent three pleasant hours citing Lend-Lease accomplishments (TIME, Feb. 1), tracing the flow of U.S. goods on a map which made committee members proud. For the few challenges hurled his way, Ed Stettinius had ready answers.

Was it true that Lend-Lease sent goods to Bermuda against Bermuda's wishes, shipped beer and powder puffs as war supplies? Wrong, said Mr. Stettinius: the U.S. has no Lend-Lease dealings with Bermuda, never shipped a can of beer or a powder puff. (Possible origin of the rumor: to fill empty space on a Lend-Lease ship to North Africa, the Government sent some rayon stockings, sold them for cash, used the francs to buy hemp and cork.)

Was it true that Britain sold Lend-Lease food to its citizens, thus made "a profit out of something that we paid for originally?" Partly, said Mr. Stettinius, for Britain had to distribute Lend-Lease food through the same channels as other food. But the money went to buy supplies for U.S. troops stationed in England.

Why did the U.S. ship farm machinery to England, when supplies were desperately short here? Because, said Mr. Stettinius, every piece of machinery produced eight times its volume in food--and shipping space was precious.

Did Lend-Lease pay hotel bills for foreign missions? To this old rumor, usually accompanied by whispers of air-conditioned suites and champagne parties, Mr. Stettinius had a quick answer: no.

When Ed Stettinius left the stand, his trim dark suit was unwrinkled, his sober maroon tie unrumpled, his white handkerchief still in place in his breast pocket. A new Gallup poll showed 82% of U.S. citizens in favor of Lend-Lease, only 9% opposed. Renewal by Congress appeared to be a mere formality. Not until the Administration's reciprocal trade treaties come up for renewal would its "international" policies be challenged by Congress.

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