The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1935-10-18
CONTROL OF MUNITIONS

iZen IS greatly interested IN the cur
rent efforts of Congress and the
Roosevelt administration to keep us
out of war. In face of the ugly stu
alton in Africa and Europe, Congress,
during the last days of its last hectic
session, did it's part by passing the
temporary Neutrality Act. This act
not only obligated the President, at
least until next February 20, to pro-
claim an American arms embargo in
the event of war between any for
eign nations, but it created the Ma
tional Munitions Control Board and
gave it certain responsibilities wholly
independent of the threat of war
Composed of the Secretaries Of State,
War, Navy, Treasury and Commerce,
this board has the duty of establish
ing and maintaining system OF
registration and of licensing for
every person who, even in time of
peace, engages in the business ct
manufacturing, exporting or import
ing any arms, ammunition and i'm
plements of war.
While Congress did not attempt to
define what constitutes arms, am
munition and implements of war" it
did decree that registration must be
completed within 80 days after pass
age of the act. Preparatory to
carrying out the provisions of the
Neutrality Act an Office of arms and
munitions control was established at
the State Department under the d.
rection of Assistant Secretary Of
State R. Walton Moore, with Joseph
C. Green as chief. The manufac-
turers of arms, ammunitions and i'm
plements of war must register with
his division in order to receive in
return license.
Following the establishment of
this office the National Munitions
Control Board, aided by stats from
the five departments which members
of the board head, drew up lists of
war implements which were recon-
mended to the President for registra-
ion. In a proclamation President
Roosevelt ordered the makers of
these war implements to register
under Section of the Neutrality Act
with the Secretary of State before
November 20. After that date all
exports and imports of these articles
may be made only on license issued
by the Secretary. The commodities
(of war; affected include: Rifles in
excess of 26.5 caliber and their bar
rels, guns, howitzers and motar guns
and their mountings and barrels, am
munition for these weapons, gren-
AIDES, bombs, torpedoes, mines and
apparatus for their use or discharge,
tanks, armored cars and armored
trains, war vessels of all kinds, all
aircraft, their parts, and aerial gun
mounts and frames, bomb racks, tor
pedo carriers and bomb or torpedo
release mechanisms, revolvers and
automatic pistols weighing more
than one pound six ounces and using
ammunition in excess of 26.5 caliber,
Livens projectors and fame throwers,
mustard gas, lewisite, ethyldichlo-
rasine and methlydichlorarsine.
After the makers of these imple-
ments register with the Secretary of
State they are entitled 20 receive ex-
port licenses, except where exporta-
ton of arms, Ammunition or imple-
ments of war would be in violation
of the Neutrality Act (should the
President declare an embargo on the
outbreak of hostilities) and when it
would be in violation of any other
law of the United States or treaty to
which the United States was party.
Each firm registering will be requir-
ed to pay fee of $500.
These important steps toward CO.
ordinated federal control of the mu-
nitions industry in this country are
viewed as paving the way for possible
international munitions control. The
list of articles proclaimed by the
President conform in a general way
to the various categories in the draf.
arms convention under consideration
by the Disarmament Conference at
Geneva. The President may at any
time revise or extend the lists. either
for the licensing system or when it
becomes necessary to proclaim an
embargo. And the Secretary of State
still has to promulgate regulations to
guide manufacturers and customs
men.