1,4 ohm for the leads alone, is a too much high value ..... or the DMM is not precise, or the leads are damaged or make bad contact in the plugs.
Anyway, basically yes, take away the resistance of the leads ..... but i repeat, 1,4 ohm is decisely too high ..... my 5 euro "battlefield" DMM
p) measure 0,4 ohm, and is the worse one of the 5 i have around (i use it just for see if there's voltage or continuity test, so no precision required
)
The Beckmann ones measures 0,1 ohm, sometimes 0,2, but considering that one of them have 15 years and the other 8, is not too bad ..... and the new ones, goes usually to zero, sometimes 0,1 ..... ofcourse, there is always some tolerances, but, really, 1,4 for two pieces of wire, make me think about some bad contact / oxydation ..... or "cooked" DMM
(ehm, you don't have measured some voltage or current with the DMM in ohm position, right ?)