Kevin Wellstein, age 15, of Danville, I11., for his question:

 WHAT EXACTLY WAS LEND LEASE?

Lend Lease was a plan developed by the United States early in World War II to aid the countries which were then fighting the Axis powers. The Lend Lease Act became law on March 11, 1941. It provided that the president of the U.S. could transfer weapons, food or equipment to any nation whose fight against the Axis aided U.S. defense.

Under Lend Lease, billions of dollars worth of American supplies were transferred to Great Britain, China and Russia.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt described the Lend Lease Act as helping to put out the fire in your neighbor's house before your own house caught fire and burned down.

After World War II, no terms were decided upon for the return of goods by countries that received U.S. equipment under the Lend Lease Act. Some countries, especially Great Britain, had already balanced part of the account by furnishing goods and services for U.S. troops.