The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-01-14
IMPORT ANCE OF
NEUTRALITY ACT
IS POINTED OUT
Future Peace, War Rests
In Congress Hands,
Warn Writers.
BY WILLIAM PHILIP SIMMS
scripps-H Howard Foreign Editor

scripps-Howard Foreign Editor
WASHINGTON, Jan. 14.-One of
the most vital measures ever con-
sidered by Congress, the neutrality
bill now before that body, may ulti-
mately decide the question of peace
or war in the United States.
Such is the thesis of Allen w.
Dulles, former State Department Of
fcial, and Hamilton Fish Armstrong,
editor OF Foreign Affairs, in a study
released today for the Council on
Foreign Relations. 1t is called,
Gan We Be Neutral?" (Harper &
Bros, New York;.
The popular impression is that If
we wish to stay out of war all we
have to do is to declare our neutral
lily, the authors observe. This is
called dangerous delusion. Con-
gress never faced a more difficult or
more important task than the franz
Ing of an instrument to keep us
neutral.
Big Job Ahead
Almost any policy of neutrality
will serve in a minor conflict" the
study asserts. But to give us even
reasonable security from becoming
involved in a major war is a job
which will require better than part
time consideration by an unwieldly
congressional committee and parti-
san debate in the final hectic ses-
sion of a dying Congress"
We are often reminded, the vol
ume continues, that in 1914 we were
unprepared for war. What Is more
to the point, we were unprepared
for peace. 1--WE were not prepared
as a neutral with any policy which
held out a reasonable hope that in
a protracted conflict between great
protagonists we could remain safely
aside.
Popular opinion and to some ex-
tent official opinion were deluded
with the idea that there was a well
defined and accepted status known
as neutrality and that If we obeyed
certain rules known to the initiate
>. we could keep cut of war.
Outcome Unforeseen
"We further expected that, with
certain minor restrictions, we could
continue to enjoy normal liberties
of travel and trade. We had no
way of foretelling the scope and APP
plication of the new methods and
instruments of warfare in ruthless
hands.
1--WE could not foresee the war
zones on the high seas, the sowing
of mines on the open seas, the un-
restricted submarine warfare, or
other unprecedented actions which
largely did away with the geographl-
cal limitations of war.
Nor did we foresee the criminal
acts Of violence in our own terri
tory"
Our many eye-opening experiences
from 1914 to 1917, the writers re-
mind us, should have brought us to
an earlier awakening. Long before
now we should have begun a careful
examination of the whole problem
of keeping aloof from war.
But Americans have generally and
sincerely believed in the efficacy OF
the world peace machinery the
League of Nations, the Kellogg Pact,
the Nine Power Treaty and so on.
Accordingly it was hot until Japan
houted the whole scheme of things,
and seized Manchuria, that we be-
gan to see the light. The Ethiopian
crisis shed still more.
Security Impossible
Now we are attempting to organize
our neutrality. But, warns Mr..
Dulles and Mr.. Armstrong, it would
be folly to lead ourselves into be-
ieving we can make America abso-
lutely secure. We can not. "The
best we can hope for I. Z. Is to avoid
as many AS possible of the incidents
that might arouse public feeling, and
in the pursuit of this aim to avoid
the assertion of rights which are not
we'll founded and fundamental and
which, once asserted, may involve
our national honor and prestige"
The volume is about half study,
half appendix, with many pertinent
documents in full, ranging from
President Wilson'S proclamation of
neutrality in 1914 to the text of the
new neutrality bill presented to Con-
gress little more than week ago.
Mr.. Armstrong and Mr.. Dulles are
eminently qualified to make we'll
balanced presentation of the case.
Both have devoted years to the
study of foreign relations, the one
as editor and author, the other as
official participant in international
conferences and similar activities.