Wednesday, 12 March

The anniversary of the death of our late leader Dr. Sun Yat-sen. A Yuan ceremony. Lou Tongsun gave quite a good speech.

President Roosevelt signed the Lend-Lease Act last night after the House of Representatives had finally passed the measure by 317 to 71 votes. In his closing speech of the House debate Sol Bloom, a Democrat, remarked that “This bill is the voice of aroused America sounding a trumpet call to victory for free government everywhere. By this action, the United States gives her reply to the cowardly defeatist cry that democracy can and will unite to carry into effect Lincoln’s high resolve that the government of the people, by the people and for the people shall not perish from the earth.” The bill is officially entitled “Act to Promote United States Defense”, and authorises the President to give orders: 1.) To manufacture in arsenals any article for the defense of any country he deems vital to U.S. defense; 2) To sell, transfer, exchange, lease, lend or otherwise dispose to any such government any defensive article; 3) To test, inspect, prove, repair, outfit, recondition or otherwise replace in good order defense articles for other governments; 4) To communicate defense information to foreign governments; and 5) To release any defense article for export. We may expect more help from the U.S.A. from now on. In fact, President Roosevelt when asked yesterday, said China would also be added under the bill.