Evening star., 1936-12-07
Neutrality Program.

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The project of the United States for
hter-American peace and neutrality. in
troduced yesterday before the Buenos
Aires conference, is noteworthy for the
limitation of its scope to American ma
tions and to strictly American causes.
Noticeably lacking is any reference to
an inter-American attitude toward non
American warfare, for the crux of New
World peace lies in divorcing the rela-
tionships of the Western from the East
ern Hemisphere.
The American draft convention also
leaves untouched the matter of an
American League of Nations, confining
Its articles to provision for consultative
action against war and for neutrality Of
non-involved American nations in case
these means of war prevention fail. Five
treaties and conventions would be CO.
ordinated by the American project in
creation of an Inter-American Consul
tative Committee composed of the secre-
taries of state and foreign ministers of
the 81 American republics.
Determination of state of war
always the decisive factor in neutrality
Is the basis for action by non-involved
American states. The neutrality act of
1895, under which President Roosevelt
applied embargoes on arms, ammunition
and implements of war going to Italy or
Ethiopia, was never clear on what con-
stituted "state of war; although it
gave the President the power to pro-
claim it. The question always existed
whether a government, not involved in
armed struggle, could brand it war
against the wishes of involved nations
for the purpose of bringing into force
rights of third nations as neutrals.
The same problem arises in the case
Of any American conflict lacking decla-
rations of war. Is there actually a state
of war? The draft convention under
takes to provide for this contingency by
stating that the parties shall,
acting through the permanent Inter-
American Consultative Committee, i'm
mediately take cognizance of the out
break of hostilities in order that they
may determine forthwith, either jointly
or individually, whether such hostilities
shall be regarded as constituting state
of war so as to call into effect the neu-
trality provisions of the present con-
vention.''
If the convention makes no provision
Tor cooperation in world system, it
does take cognizance of obligations of
certain American states under the
League Covenant, and acts as no bar
thereto.
hint of the tack new neutrality leg
islation in this country may take also
may be cleaned from the draft. The
provision in article VII that individual
neutral powers shall be free to impose
such prohibitions or restrictions on
trade and commerce between them and
belligerents, as they may deem
appropriate in the interest of their do
mestic policy or of international peace"
ACdfCo dHAPAC 1OOlll 1OI 1OT
embargoes on such primary raw mate
rails as cotton, oil, copper and iron, the
trade in which was bitterly fought dur
bng the Italian invasion of Ethiopia. In
order to avoid complications in COM
mercial treaties it is further stated that
such restrictions shall not be deemed
contraventions of commercial agree
ments.
The convention would forbid the
traffic in arms to belligerents, Just as
existing United States legislation does.
The effect Of the convention would be,
however, to put such prohibition upon a
treaty rather than a statutory basis,
thus leaving 1t intact in the event the
present Federal statute should 60 out of
force for any reason.