The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1936-01-16
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National Topics Interpreted II G44ala3
by William Bruekart WTMMW
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guished from the extension of dis.
cretionary authority to the Presi-
dent. To say it another way, the
sentiment appears to be i'm favor
OF making the embargoeS applicable
| to all belligerent powers and not
just to one nation whose claims our
government may believe to be unS
just.
1t Is safe to say that before con-
greSS determines definitely what the
permanent policy
Expect shall be, there will
Hot Debate be bitter debate.
In examining the
problems, it is to be remembered that
when hegovernment lays an embargo
against all nations at war it takes
away possibilities of tremendous
profit. This profit accrues to those
industries by which sustaining war
materials are produced. Neutral
ity legislation, therefore, may prove
costly, not as costly as war, per-
haps, but nevertheless a costly &C.
ton. Hence, there is no question
that many lines Of commerce and
industry are going to be drawn into
the preliminaries Of this decision.
To explain how disturbing to GER
tain lines of industry this thing
can be, 1t is only necessary to re-
call events of the last month or so
in connection with the sanctions
proposed by the League of Nations.
The league has tried to force the
dictator, Mussolini, to withdraw
from Africa by the use Of embar-
goes, which is what sanctions are.
The league proceeded with consid-
cradle vigor until it reached the
question of Oil. Immediately, shoes
began to pinch and the feet that
were pinched were In every coun-
try where oil is found, even our
own.
As a result, they have led the
oil horse up to the watering trough
from a half dozen different ap-
proaches but they have not yet
been able to make him drink. Our
own oil interests have not been quiz
escent. If the league bans Oil ship
ments to Italy, the United States,
which is not a member Of the
league. obviously will do likewise.
Profits Of the oil companies and
the hundreds upon hundreds of
thousands of shareholders would
be cut. -...s---..- ~.
Further, Mussolini has announced
publicly that imposition Of the en-
barge upon oil would mean war. He
did not say with whom he would
60 to war but the British and the
French know and they are getting
ready. The British have the entire
home fleet in the Mediterranean at
this time and the Blue Jackets
aboard the British men Of war have
been drilled thoroughly anew in
the science of manning their big
guns. --.- ~
So it is seen how delicate this
whole circumstance is. 1t is plain
that when congress deals with the
neutrality legislation, it is molding
a pattern over which there will be
undoubtedly an alignment among
our citizens as sharply drawn as
though it were a purely domestic
question. There will be those, Of
course, who favor permanent pol
icy which will make it mandatory
upon the President to apply en-
bargoes against shipments Of any
thing disable in war and treat all
nations engaged in war alike. There
will be set off against this SEN
timent those who think the Chief
Executive should have discretionary
power and that the government
should not be placed in a strait
jacket from which it cannot extri-
cate itself without congressional &C
ton. Whatever the conclusions may
be and whatever form the new leg
islation takes, it remains as one of
the most important policies to come
before congress in many moons.
Whatever is done necessarily will be
a precedent toward which future
generations will look as time goes
on whether civilization becomes
more enlightened or not.
The Treasury, operating on fis-
cal year that runs from July 1 to
June 80, has just
Must Cut passed the half
Outgo way point in the
current 12-month
period. The figures show that its
receipts are tagging far behind the
expenditures and demonstrates the
necessity for. cutting down the fed
eral outgo unless the nation desires
to see its public debt go far beyond
any total hitherto conceived.
The official Treasury statement as
of December 80 shows that the gov
eminent has spent approximately
| 81, S50,000,000 more in the first six