Evening star., 1936-01-20
Munitions
Continued From First Page.)

partment contained confidential COM
munications from other governments
and that this Government could not
make public confidential matter with
out their permission.
The department has steadily OBJ
served this rule in its cooperation
with congressional committee" Hull
said.
Dema nds Faith BE Kept.
THE department has scrupulously
kept faith with foreign governments
and in its cooperation with congress
sional committees has necessarily
trusted and relied upon such COM
mittees to. in turn, keep faith with
the department.
The extent to which the State De-
partment can thus cooperate with
congressional committees must depend
upon the extent to which such COM
mittees cooperate with the State De-
partment"
Hull had been asked by newsmen
weather the department would make
available documents which Chairman
Nye Of the Munitions Committee said
were available to subStantiate his
charge that Woodrow Wilson "falsi-
fed" when he told Congress this
Government was unaware OF allied
secret treaties to distribute enemy ter
.itory, until after the United States
entered the World War.
Silent on Papers Existence.
The Secretary did not refer directly
to these charges nor say whether such
documents actually existed.
Much material for the committees
investigation of wartime financing and
other matters has been made available
by the department in the past, how
ever.
! AS Hull spoke. committee leaders
were preparing for showdown in the
Senate Thursday on their request for
more funds to continue the investiga-
ton.
Money offered by Rev. Father
Charles E. Couehlin of Detroit to keep
the investigation from being killed by
| Senators indignant at the charge
against Wilson was declined earlier
in the day by Nye.
There is not any constitutional or
legal right for him Father Cough.in)
to finance completion of the investi-
CATION" said Nye. The committee
could not accept such funds. Father
Coughlin is undoubtedly speaking the
mind and will of great many people
to see the investigation completed"
Assailed last week by Senator Glass,
Democrat. of Virginia for saying
Woodrow Wilson "falsified," Nye an
nounced that further hearings had
been Cancelled temporarily. J. P. Nor
gan and partners will not be recalled
to testify Thursday as planned.
Nye said Il think we will get" the
$1,000 to $4,000 needed to wind up
the committees work, but other legis-
lators expressed strong doubts. Ma
jority Leader Robinson, Chairman
Glass o. the Appropriations Commit
tee and Chairman Byrnes of the Sem
ate Contingent Funds Committee had
made it plain they were vehemeatly
opposed to voting more money.
Nye Charges Smoke Screen.
Charging that his reference to
President Wilson was being used to
build "a smoke screen to cove: a gen.
eral attack upon the constructive
work and remedial legislative pro-
posals OF the committee, Nye said In
a statement:
There are doubtless some who feel,
for sentimental reasons. that my per-
sonal comment Ton Wilson, consti-
tutes sufficient reason for putting q
summary and premature end to the
bread constructive work OF the COM
mittee.
"A vastly larger number may SIM
ply be eager to seize upon any weapon
and resort to any subterfuge to kill
legislation which threatens the blood
profits to be made from war"
Expressing the highest regard" for
Wilson, Nye said that the Presidents
central purpose" was to keep the
country out of war. But this, he con-
tinued, is impossible without the aid
Of legislation that would prevent any
interests from laying the train OF
events which led US into q war which
he and q vast majority Of the people
had resolved to stay cut OF.
Pittman Hopes for Bill.
While Nye was retorting in formal
statement to the Senate critics, Chair
man Pittman of the Senate Foreign
Relations Committee expressed con-
viction that neutrality legislation not
be endangered by the quarrel over the
Nye charges
Pittmar said last night there was
''little II any" difference between the
administration bill he had introduced
and the bill advanced by Senator's
Nye and Clark, Democrats OF Missouri.
Botk bills would make permanent
the present mandatory embargo of
munitions and arms shipments to
belligerents, and would give the
President discretion, within certain
limits, in curbing shipments OF Ger
tain otter classes Of commodities use
full in war, as we'll as in limiting
extension Of credit to warning nations.
A further conference on the legis-
lation was called for Wednesday, Pitt
man said, with Secretary Hull and
State Department experts meeting
with the Foreign Relations Committee.
He said the bill would be reported
out in probably not more than two
weeks.
The Foreign Policy Association pre-
dicted, meanwhile, that . proposal
to permit shipment Of normal GUAM
titles Of essential war materials to
belligerents probably would fail to
keep the United States out Of war.