Evening star., 1935-10-04
President Seen
Ready to Act
on Arms.
AWAIT OFFICIAL
WORD OF WAR
Munitions Only to
Be Barred by
Proclamation.
BY CONSTANTINE BROWN.

SoENS AAAoVN
President Roosevelt is expected to
issue a proclamation not later than
tomorrow. in accordance with the
neutrality resolution passed by Con-
gress, stating that war exists be-
tween Italy and Ethiopia. The
neutrality act provides that as soon
as such a proclamation is made an
embargo will be placed on the export
of arms. ammunition and implements
of war to the two belligerents
The list of materials which will
come under the embargo proclamation
will not be much different from the
list issued by the State Department
two wee ago and which is being ap-
piled to arms and munition manufac-
turers for the purpose of obtaining
export licenses.
Raw Materials Not Barred.
That is to say. raw materials such
as cotton, copper and iron will not be
barred to the belngerent countries If
they have the money to purchase
them.
The State Department experts have
been discussing the situation for sew
eral days and have come to the con-
clusion that, for the time being at
least. it would be unwise to include
in the embargo list anything but actual
materials.
In arriving at this decision the State
Department authorities had to take
into consideration every angle of the
situation. No positive definition of
what Is war material could be found.
But in the debates of the Senate, when
the neutrality act was discussed. Sen
ator Key Pittman, the chairman of
the Foreign Affairs Committee, reply
ing to Senator Duncan Fletcher, from
Florida. stated that cotton and other
such raw materials were not consid-
cred as war materials The officials
who are engaged in drafting the en-
barge list are more or less compelled
to follow that definition in order to
avoid possible legal complications
which might otherwise bring the mat
ter of embargo before the Supreme
Court.
Italy Already Denied Credit.
From the practical point of view, il
is asserted that neither countries are
at present in position to purchas Sc
any quantity of raw materials.
Financial sanctions against ITALY
came into force unofficially three
months ago. At that time the London
bankers, who were Immediately fol-
lowed by the New York banks, refused
any further credits to their italian cor-
respondents Consequently, since las:
July Italy has been compelled to live
on her own fat. To finance all her
purchases in Great Britain, the United
States and other countries linked with
the British-America banking system
she has drawn on her war treasury,
which has a fair amount of gold and
foreign exchange.
If the Italo-E Ethiopian conflict is pro-
longed or if it expands to an inter-
national crisis. the President can, un-
der section l of the neutrality resoiu-
tion, extend the embargo to other
states. But 1t appears doubtful wheth-
er he can increase the list of materials
subjected to the embargo proclamation.
Hull Awaits Official Word.
Section of the neutrality resolu-
ton provides that The President is
hereby authorized to proclaim, upon
recommendation of the National NUM-
ton Control Board, from time to time
list of articles which shall be con-
sidered arms. ammunition and imple-
ments of war for the purpose of this
section" But in the first section OF
the act, the President has no such
latitude.
Secretary Hull is awaiting now only
an official confirmation that the unde-
clared war in Africa since Thursday
was an actual outbreak of war" As
soon as war between Ethiopia and
Italy Is considered official, the procla-
nation providing the embargo on war
materials, and making it unlawful for
American vessels to carry such articles
to neutral port for shipment to the
belliqerentS. will be issued