, 1935-09-24
WASHINGTON
By Raw Tucker

ny nay tucker
UnsClved- The administrations
munitions committee has discover
ed that saving the world from
American shot and shell Is ticklish
business. IL has split into two groups
in preliminary discussions - those
who would ban all goods which aid
q nation az war, including toilet
kits. and those who would restrict
an embargo TO actual war weapons
The latter seem TO have the best OF
the argument behind the depart
mental doors.
Many problems were neglected
when congress rushed through this
legislation. The legislators did NOT
declare what constituted war num-
tons. although selling wheat To one
b~elligerent may involve the United
states In a conflict as quickly aS
furnishing cannon. The legislation
says nothing about handling ship
ments TO a neutral nation which may
be reshipped to a belligerent-an.
other potential cause OF active hos
tility toward the United States.
Congress requires exporters and
makers Of arms to report on peace
time orders and movements TO the
state department. But 1t did not
cay whether Secretary Hull should
pigeon-hOle this information or
turn 1t over to the press periodical
ly. If he doesn't. there viii be a CRY
for "pitiless publicity II ne does
he will antagonize the foreign gov
ernments involved by disclosing
their warlike intentions to their
home peoples and foreign enemies
The committee may issue a com
prehensive statement OF It's pro-
gram but II has not solved these
background problems TO its own sat
isfaction.
Exports-Published figures on ex-
ports OF war materials r. miSlead-
ing. They do not measure the flow
OF cotton, copper, chemicals and
metals which set IN toward all
European nations in the last month
after Geneva's moves for peace
seemed doomed to failure. Nor do
they take into consideration suspi-
cions that the stuff or war has been
shipped under another label.
European orders in the last month
exceeded those OF the six previous
months. Exporters are working over
time TO FL these orders before an
outbreak OF war forces the president
to clamp down an embargo. That
factor may explain Mussolinis post
ponement OF warllke action more
than the rains or Ethiopia. He has
been storing up scrap iron. cotton
metals, trucks-and Chilean nitrate.
Not to mention lemon pop for sol
diers toiing under an equatorial
sun.
War boom days are on the fresh
old. American industry Is whip
ping itself into warlike stride, des-
pite munitions legislation. Which
recalls Ashurst'S solemn warning
that the congress which voted for
n embargo must resist the pul OF
profits and propaganda when the
bugles blow. OFF the record he in
Guided the state department IN his
warning
FOrward-Big business has recov-
cred from its economic and political
fright. IN a private exchange OF
views at the capital bankers. manu-
facturers and their allies have de-
c-ded 1t vas time TO boost business
and soft-pedal political acrimonies
They will launch an economic Of
fenSive through fall and winter.
They feel that they are slowly re-
covering whatever prestige they lost
In the l929-l933 debacle. IN a series
OF nationwide meetings under the
auspices of those rival organizations
the II. =. Chamber OF Commerce
and the National Association OF
Mountaineering will present a
new viewpoint. They viii cite the ex-
per-ence Of the last 30 months as
evidence that politicians cannot
promote real recovery, and that
private industry must now take
charge.
They aren't declaring dividends on
the basis Of the breathing spell"
announcement. holding II an arm
istice rather than permanent peace
They look for steadily improving
conditions and point to the steel
companies expansion program as
proof. What bothers them most Is
large expenditures and taxes. They
bank on the supreme court to cast
out many New Deal devils but they
know that the nine old men" can't
outlaw tax bills.
Men - Filling Joseph Kennedy's
place presents a problem much
NOR ediff-cult than New Dealers
admit publicly. His insistence on
quitting in the face OF presidential
pleadingS 10 hang on was a shock
TO administration aides.
Although few realized It. Mr.
Kennedy had become a symbol
and a promise-to the financial and
industrial community. AS chairman
or the Securities Exchange commits
sion. he took over a law which en-
ragged his old friends In Wall Street