The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-11-25

a events in Europe, Africa and Asia galop to-
ward showdown American neutrality faces
major test.
Mussolini is threatening to resign from Geneva
There are rumors that he has warned France that
ban on oil may war. Possibly because of this
League of Nations meeting to plan tighter trade
ring around Italy has been postponed.
Here in the United States the Administration is
trying not only to keep up with the League, but
jump ahead of it-as it has done most of the time
since the beginning of the African imbroglio
Interior Secretary Ickes is trying to stop oil to
Italy. Ship owners have been given a broad hint
that further financial aid from Uncle Sam will not
be forthcoming unless they toe the neutrality mark
Obsolete vessels under the shipping board must not
be sold to Mussolin for scrap-iron Upon the heels
Of all this Secretary Hull, the Weekend tossed
something of bombshell of his own into the
situation
1t looks as if cotton exports to Italy the
increase, he warned, and II more is shipped than
can reasonably be expected curb might have to be
applied
Thereby hangs vita! tale. 1t is mandatory on
the President to embargo arms, ammunition and
implements of war" but Of essential war materials"
there is no definite list The League is trying
to remedy the defect but until Congress meets next
year this country, apparently not legally forbid
such exports OIL Steel cotton, wheat and forth
The Administration only discourage" such trade
by ndrecton-as the President Secretaries Hull and
Ickes and the Shipping Board are endeavorng to do
The brutal fact, therefore, is that the neutrality
law is developing not but several Achilles heels
Rushed through Congress in the closing hours of
the last session. it gave the President too much
latitude in one direction and not enough in another
1T can not legally stop the shipment of OIL cotton,
copper breadstuffs, steel scores of other COM
modities important to war guns and shells. 1t
ignores the whole question of contraband Also
credits and loans. When two nations go to war
like Italy and Ethiopia the President shall embargo
arms to them. He mayor he may not-extend
the embargo to other states which might join in.
Should England or France or any other power now
go to war with Italy for example, he might apply the
embargo not he fit, which morally is sound,
but it is not neutrality.
Admittedly temporary expedient neutrality
law should be revised or amended realistically
soon as Congress gets back on the job Hulls stand
on cotton is as natural as his stand machine guns
The is every bit important to a nation at war
the other. Yet il he tries to halt cotton ship
ments-or wheat or any other such war essential
he faces a tornado of protest.
We say we want neutrality. If we do let us have
the spunk to take the consequences And these, in
any widespread conflict, not fail to be costly in
terms of immediate profit. To be truly neutral we
must be prepared to enact at least part of the bill
introduced in Congress by Rep Maverick last April
To any and all belligerents, it stipuates, we must
refrain from furnishing amy muntion of war or
article declared to be contraband of war;
If desire to be Mcfarland every section of
the country indicates overwhelmingly that do
must adjust our machinery before major hostil-
tiles begin President Wilson said and believe
rightly. that any radical departure after conflict
begins might in itself constitute violation of
tralty.
Neutrality is neither easy cheap But in the long
run, economists almost unanimously agree, it pays
Congress then. at the earliest moment possible,
should face the hard facts by enactng law which
fairly and squarely meets the issue.