The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-02-05
DRIFTING FROM NEUTRALITY

T Asst summer when Italian troops were poised OF
- the Eritrean and Somaliland borders, waiting
for the end of The rainy season to begin their inva
sion of Ethiopia, America seemed to know exactly
what she wanted in the way of strict neutrality
policy
In the dark continent at that time, America be-
heved were the makings of another Sarajevo-an
incident that might envelop Europe and the rest
OF the world in bigger and more destructive
Walter Mills THE Road to War" had just been
widely read refreshing Americas memory of how
the Sarajevo gunshot of 1914 had drawn all Europe
into bloody vortex, into which then isolated
America had first thrown her goods and then her
money and finally her man-power
Last summer the people of America had but a
single objective-to keep out of regardless of
cost And in response to the united public senti-
ment Congress rushed through the temporary neu-
trality law now on the books 1t imperfect
and incomplete lava compromise. But it was
the best that could be worked out in the crush of
congressional adjournment
And it suffced to meet the emergency When the
rains stopped and Italian tanks moved across the
Ethiopian border, President Roosevelt forbade the
sale OF arms to either of the beligerents and pub
licly proclaimed that Americans who Travelled on bel
hgerent vessels did so at their own risk.
Partly because of that stopgap law, partly because
of overwhelming public sentiment for much more
inclusive hands-off policy and partly because the
1talo- Ethiopian conflict kept isolated, have
remained "dsentanged and free"
But the law expires Feb. 49, three weeks hence.
1t was admitted when the law enacted that it
was not adequate to keep out of really i'm
portant conflict, and Congress wrote in the expra-
ton date with the intention of drafting more en-
bracing policy IN January.
MTHEN Congress met again in January, the Adj
W ministraton and the congressional bloc favor
Ing rigid neutrality apparently had come to an agree
ment on permanent neutrality program, differing
only on minor details. A bill was introduced. In
the Senate it was referred to the Foreign Relations
Committee And there it has since Suffocated part
OF the time in pigeon-hole, and part of the time
on the table before the committee in star chamber
hearings and debates.
And meanwhile, with the American people less
conscious of the peril of war; apparently believing
the ItaoEthiopian struggle will not spread and for
the moment not apprehensive of the war sparks that
fash everywhere, that single objective of keeping out
OF other peoples wars seems to have been forgotten
The State Department crowd, wanting to be neu-
trail and at the same time able to take Sides de-
mands amendments investing them with discretion
to play the dangerous game of diplomacy And those
splendid isolatoniSts" led by Senator Hiram john
of California, who want to eat their isolation
and at the time keep their freedom of the SEAS
would strike out the wording of the bill and substi-
tute the wording of THE tar-Spangled Banner" as
American neutrality" policy.
1t is time to end this all-or- nothing tug-of-war
bring the bill out from behind the closed doors of
the Foreign Relations Committee and in open de-
bate the floors of Congress draft sane neutrality
policy which has only that single objective-to keep
our own nation at peace regardless of the conflicts
of others.