Evening star., 1936-02-12
Permission to Put Peace
Quotas on Oil, Cotton
and Steel Omitted.
AMERICAN REPUBLICS
EXEMPT IF ATTACKED
Measure Makes No Mention of
Letting President Require Trade
at Shippers Risk
BACKGROUND


of last session, Congress passed
neutrality ldW by Which President
tDGs directed to declare embargo on
shipments of Uar materials to bel
ltgerent nations LaU empires at
end OF this month.
On opening OF present session.
administration reUealed support OF
nel0 ldU similar to eItSting one;
t1Uo extreme factions. hoUeUer, soon
placed administration in middle.
First Were iSolationiSts such as
Senators B0rGh and johnson, tUho
declared arbitrary neutrality pro-
cedure bound to taUor one side or
| other and likely to lead to Udr.
Other faction included those Uho
sought more rigid legislation, such
/ as Government control OF udr-
time production facilities and ban
against food and financial dealings.
BY the Associated Press.
The Senate Foreign Relations Com
mittee today approved unanimously
| an abridged neutrality bill extending
the present arms embargo features
until May l, 1887. but exempting
American republics from its applica-
tion when attacked by American
nations.
The compromise, which brought
several divergent factions into line,
/ completely omitted two major pro-
visions of the administration act.
| One would have permitted the Presi-
dent to impose peace-time quotas on
materials of war" such as oil, cot
ton, and steel, and one would have
permitted the Chief Executive to re-
quire that trade proceed with bel
/ ligerents at the shippers risk.
| Attached to the bill as agreed on
/ by the committee, however, was q
mandatory direction to the President
to embargo loans to belligerents, all
though allowing ordinary short-terN
commercial credits.
A move to force consideration of
permanent legislation at this session
| apparently awaited the bill on the
/ Senate floor.
House to Get Bill at Once.
Chairman McReynolds of the House
Foreign Affairs Committee said that
in the interests of speed, he planned
( to introduce a copy of the Senate bill
in the House, perhaps today, then call
his committee into session in a day
or two" to consider the measure.
/ The amendment concerning Amer
/ ican republics provided
This act shall not apply to an
American republic or republics en-
gagged in war against a nom American
state or states. provided, the American
republic is not cooperating with a
non-American state or states in such
war"
Simply stated it means. Chairman
Pittman of the Senate committee said.
that should a non-American nation
join with an American nation against
another American nation, the arms
embargo would go into effect, but if
only non-American nation attacked
an American nation, then the embargo
would not apply.
Materials Embargo in Controversy.
Commenting on the elimination OF
section 4, which empowered the PreSi.
dent to embargo war materials, Pitt
man said in a statement that the con-
troversy has not been decided" He
added:
1T is evident there is wide and,
sincere difference of opinion, not only
as to the general principle involved,'
but as to the limits to which such en-
barge should 60, and the effect of such
an act upon our citizens and upon
peace"
The action of the committee was to
substitute for proposed permanent
legislation a bill introduced several
weeks ago by Senator Thomas, Demo-
crat, of Utah, providing for an exten-
sion of the present law. To the Thomas
measure was attached the several
amendments, including one clarifying
a provision in the law which was enact
ed last August.
Would Hit All Belligerents.
In the present act the President is
directed mandatorily to impose the
embargo against the first nations en-
gaging in war, but is given optional
authority as to whether it shall apply
to subsequent entries into the conflict.
The bill approved for submission to
the Senate would apply the embargo
to all belligerents, regardless of when
they enter a conflict.
Much was accomplished by the
passage of the act at the last session
of Congress in placing an embargo
| a
ton to belligerents of arms, ammuni-
tioE and implements of war;" Pitt
man said.
"In fact, it has been the transporta-
ton of such materials that has aroused
the greatest antagonism of belligerents
not in control of the seas. 1t may be
doubted whether a sane belligerent
would submarine an American vessel
or any passenger vessel if it knew that
such vessel was not carrying arms, am
munition, or implements of war. This
provision being of prime Importance.
Congress does not intend to take any
chances in the law lapsing, and it will
lapse within two weeks unless re-
enacted"
johnson Accepts Measure.
Settlement of the differences in the
Foreign Relations Committee was
looked on among administration lead
ers as assuring prompt passage of the
revised measure, even though Senator
Clark, Democrat, of Missouri. had in
dicated he would seek 60-day exten-
sion of the present act in order to
force permanent legislation.
Pittman said johnson agreed to the
revised bill and that there was not a
dissenting vote in committee against
reporting it t6the Senate.