Evening star., 1937-11-21
new NEUTRALITY
ACTION PLANNED
Congressman Are Expected
to Seek Additional Fences
This Week. s....
BY the Associated Press,

By the Associated Press.
Congressmen, troubled by the specter
Of war and avowedly displeased with
the administrations policy in the Far
East. probably will try this week to
erect new neutrality fences around
the United States.
Senator Nye, Republican, Of North
Dakota announced meeting OF BIZ
partisan group Of Senators to consider
. resolution recognizing q state Of war
between Japan and China.
The effect Of this would be to force
invocation Of the Neutrality Act,
which automatically would embargo
shipments of war materials to bellig-
erent nations and, within the discre-
tion Of the President, restrict other
supplies going to belligerents.
Objection Blocked Sauthoff.
Possibility Of such . move in the
Senate was anticipated in the House
by Representative Sauthoi1. Progress
sive, of Wisconsin. who asked Friday
for immediate consideration Of reso-
luton to declare state of war in
the Far East. A single objection to
his motion. which required unanimous
consent. blocked his request.
Any effort Of Congress to change
the present neutrality law. however,
might be blocked by presidential dis
approval unless 1t were backed by
two-thirds Of Congress and thus might
override veto. No hint has come
from the White House that President
Roosevelt desires . change In the
neutrality law
International unrest in Europe as
well as the Orient occupied the Sen
ate briefly last week. when Senator
Vandenberg, Republican, Of Michigan
took cognizance Of reports that AM
bassador Bullitt had been sent to
warn Poland against joining an anti
Communism alliance OF Germany,
Italy and Japan. The State Depart
ment said Mr.. Bullitt's visit was purely
personal.
Halt dozen or more bills designed
to make 1t dif6cult for this country
to get into war have been introduced.
They differed somewhat from those
offered In the regular session early in
the year.
Three Offer Senate Bills.
Proposals then were concerned with
eliminating profit motives for war and
with establishing neutrality safe
guards Last week. however, three
Senator's introduced measures which
would in effect limit the power of Con-
gress to declare war and put it largely
in the hands Of the people.
The three, Senator Clark, Democrat,
Of Missouri; La Toilette, Progressive, of
Wisconsin and Capper, Republican,
Of Kansas proposed constitutional
amendments calling for referendum
on any declaration Of war except in
event OF an invasion.
Other pending measures include the
American Lgion's universal con-
scription' bill and the Veterans Of
Foreign Wars plan ito take the profits
out Of war" Both have received COM
mittee study in previous sessions and
are pending in the Senate Finance
and House Ways and Means Com
mittees.
Employing different methods both
would put check on the profits pri-
vate business could make from war.
Embodied in another bill is the prin-
ciple Of conscripting wealth through
forced sales Of war loan bonds, the
amount Of bonds an individual would
have to buy being determined by the
amount Of wealth he had.
Pittman Opposes Acts Use.
Chairman Pittman of the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee said
after talk with Secretary Hull yes
terday that he could not see that
We would gain anything by invoking
the Neutrality Act" against China and
Japan.
Neither country has declared any
blockade" Senator Pittman said.
Neither has established any prohibited
military zones in the ocean. Neither
IS attempting to search any of our
ships. Neither has made up a con-
traband list OF articles which can not
be shipped to the other country. Neith-
er is using submarines.
There isn't any danger at pres
ent that the Neutrality Act is in
tended to protect US against war"
Senator Pittman said that "as long
As the Brussels conference is going
on, any action on our part might
bring about = change in the situa-
tion, or at least would legitimatize
any excuse any other government
had for not going on with the con-
ference"
Asked whether he would favor