The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-05-02
MUNITION TRADE
IS STUDIED BY
SENATE GROUP
Practical Ways of Avoiding
Wars Sought; World
Conference Urged.
BY RUTH FINNEY
Times Special Writer

WASHINGTON. May 2-Practical
ways OF keeping this country out Of
any future war are being actively
sought by the government It's
search IS concerned principally with
munitions manufacturers, widely
accused in recent months as TO
mentors Of war
Without waiting for the Nye COM
mittee's scheduled investigation Of
munitions, Secretary of State Cor
dell Hull has asked the senate 10
ratify at once a convention for
supervision Of the international
trade in arms and ammunition
which was written in Geneva in
1925 and has been ignored since
then by the world powers.
The senate foreign relations com
mittee has already acted on this re-
quest. II has reported favorably on
ratification and Chairman Key Pitt
man says he Will ask for prompt
consideration in the. senate There
should be no opposition. There was
none in committee.
The convention would require all
countries signing it to make quar-
terly reports on the export and i'm
Il of arms. This would check
Mau traffic in war materials. at
Gueot a large part Of the whole
dahIstraffic, the state department
hnue;s. It provides also that sign
ers shall not ship arms into any
country without consent Of the gov
ernO7pnt Of that country
Only Four Have Signed
In the nine years since the con-
vention was drawn. only four coun-
tries have signed it, none Of them
important powers. Others have
been waiting on the United States,
in the opinion of Chairman Pitt
man. The convention becomes ef-
fective only when seven powers have
agreed to it.
Meanwhile. administration lead
ers are in a quandry about the arms
embargo resolution so vigorously
sponsored by Secretary Hull a year
ago. AS passed by the house at that
time, it provided that the PreSi-
dent might forbid shipment Of arms
from this country whenever he be
lieved such action would prevent
or discourage war.
The senate passed the measure
two months ago with an amendment
requiring that the embargo apply
to all countries involved in the dis
pute. Congressional leaders. in
stead of asking for a conference be
tween the two houses. have waited
instructions from the state depart
ment and these have not been forth
coming. Apparently Secretary Hull
prefers to have the resolution die
rather than have it pass in the form
the senate prefers.
Two new war preventatives are
proposed in resolutions Just referred
to this committee. both of them
drawn by its chairman. Gerald T.
Nye.
Unofficial Poll Made
one proposes an amendment to
the Constitution providing that
war may be declared only after
vote of all the people has been
taken. and that the President may
conscript all private war properties.
factories and supplies when war is
imminent.
The second would establish
division in the department of state
to study fundamental causes of
war and hunt for remedies.
But while congress is considering
whether the people may vote on
future wars. returns from such a
ote-unofficial-are being received
here.
More than 100000 Protestant
ministers and Jewish rabbis have
been polled to learn their attitude
on war and on peace measures. AL
together. 20879 responded. OF these,
1897 believe that the churches of
America should now go on record
as refusing to sanction any future
war. And 12,90l say that they will
not participate as armed combat
arts in any future war.
ight questions were asked. On
entrance into the League of Ma
tions, the religious men voted l0.l0l
for. 5,987 against, and Abb IN
doubt. They opposed military train
ing in schools by 1923 to 2.579.
On reduction of arms. even if the
United States is forced to go far
Their than other nations. they voted
1895 for, $3.50 against. They re-
jected the policy of armed interven-
ton TO protect American lives and
property. 1888 to 2.782 Signih-
cantly, many of those opposed to
intervention had been missionaries
in China.
The religious men divided almost
evenly on service as official army
Chaplains. with those willing to
serve a little in the lead. The vote
was close. also. on a question as to
whether distinction should be made
between defensive" and "aggres-
sive" wars. with 1917 saying yes