The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-08-23
FRIDAY. AUG. q. 1895.
THE RISKS WE RUN
q scRIPPs-HowARD NEwsPAPER)

MYTH the House planning today to cut
down 10 six months the Senate ban on
munitions traffic to belligerents there Will be
very little result apparently to show for all the
proud pledges Of an adequate neutrality law
Congress and the Administration just can't be
bothered
But 20 years ago at this time we were both
cred enough-there was tension over the Ara
bic affair. German submarines had sunk "a
vessels in two days. and Great Britain was
teaching US the hard lesson that there is no
such thing as freedom of the seas for neutrals
in wartime We were being sucked into war
helpless to stop it.
Just how any American-much less a gov
eminent official charged with responsibility for
his countrys safety-can imagine America will
find it easy to keep out Of the next war is diff
cult to understand.
All Of our bitter experience the last time
proves that good intentions. neutral desires,
and talk of free seas. will not keep us out OF
course President Roosevelt wants peace and is
determined to preserve neutrality. But he is no
more sincere and determined than was Presi-
dent Wilson.
Circumstances were too much for our neu-
trail President and Congress last time, and
probably will be again unless we prepare for
neutrality in advance.
We can not make ourselves 100 per cent Sc
cure in neutrality but we can eliminate in ad-
vance some Of the obvious risks. Nor do we
have to call in any diplomatic experts or
international lawyers to discover those risks.
AL of us who lived through the last neutrality
turned-into-war can remember. Even the
school children can tell us.
Risk American citizens will lose their
lives while travelling on bellgerent ships-then
the old righteous war fever here. The advance
neutrality law should ban such travel. as the
Senate resolution would do.
Risk 2-American ships carrying contra
band will be sunk-more angry free-seas pro-
tests and more war fever here The mandatory
neutrality law should ban shipment of nom
munitions contraband in American bottoms, as
the Senate and House proposals fail to do
Risk 3-America will participate in the war
by selling munitions thus preventing from the
start any complete neutrality. The manda-
tory neutrality law should ban all arms traffic
to belIigerents. as the Senate would do but as
the House would do for only six months.
Risk America will finance the war
through loans and credits. thus building up
an investment which We must go to war to
protect-futilely, of course-as we did last
time. The mandatory neutrality law should
ban all belligerent loans and credits. making
it a cash-and-carry proposition. Congress is
completely evading this major issue.
There are plenty of other risks. such as the
private control of the munitions business in
the hands of merchants of death, which will
have to be faced by the next Congress. But
this Congress. after investigating and dis
cussing the subject for so many months. should
pass now a mandatory neutrality law cover
ing the first four risks.
1T must not happen againl" That is what
we all say and mean. But it will happen again
unless We do something about it.