Evening star., 1937-01-10


destructive cargo to Madrid. The ad-
ministration took advantage Of this |
fiat declaration to point out how un- |
foreseen situations may arise every |
time any part of the world is seething |
with unrest The case of Mr.. Cuse |
might convince the Congress that only |
by giving the President free hand |
can every conceivable emergency be |
taken care of adequately.
The real fight will come, however,
when the new neutrality legislation
designed to replace the existing act Is
discussed.
Neutrality Term Disliked.
The administration dislikes the word
neutrality-and rightly so. 1t IS diff |
cult to maintain strict neutrality IN
the event of a general confagration.
The administration would prefer to
have a law to keep the United States
out of war. And the best means to
achieve this purpose must be left, so
the administration thinks, entirely in
the hands of the President. The ex-
port of arms and ammunition, certain
raw materials, credits, the operating |
of American commercial vessels In the
war zones, and the travel Of American
citizens on foreign ships-an ought |
to be rigidly controlled by the Govern |
ment, but the President should have
full power to handle them with free
hand in accordance with develop
ments. 1t is hoped thus to avoid
also a too rigid neutrality law
which might unnecessarily cripple
Americas foreign trade. 1t is pointed
out by administration spokeSmen on
Capitol Hill that the mere threat of
a mandatory neutrality has already
had i'll effects on this country'S trade
already have begun to divert their
orders because they feel that eventu-
ally American resources will be lost
to them.
Whether these considerations will
overcome the reluctance Of many Sen
ators and Representatives to entrLst
the President with discretionary pow
ers remains to be seen. For the time
being, there are about as many sug-
gestions for a water-tight neutrality
bill as there are Congressman.
Out of this wealth of ideas, four
suggestions are likely to be debated
in the course of the next few weeks as
the best means to keep America out of
war.
l. A complete embargo on every con-
ceivable commodity. including Red
fn he Htyt hn
President as soon as the state Of bel |
ligerency has been declared between |
two or several powers. All economic |
and financial intercourse between the |
United States and the belligerents shall |
be suspended for the duration of hos
tilities. Americans should be pre- |
vented travelling on belligerent ships |
and of course no financial help shall be |
afforded either directly or indirectly |
to the warning nations.
American Business Faces Loss.
Such draconic legislation undoubt- |
edly would 60 long way toward isolat-
ing this country from the war germ. |
It would mean heavy loss to Ameri- |
can business, but its advocates say |
that it would be worth while for the |
citizens of this country to lose one. or |
even two billion dollars. to avoid the |
spending of many billions and the loss
of hundreds of thousands of lives be- |
cause it wants to continue to do busi- |
ness as usual. Senator Gerald Nye, |
who is one of the principal exponents
of this theory, also is convinced that |
such determined attitude on the part |
of the United States would shorten |
the duration of hostilities, IL 1t did not
altogether deter European nations
from fighting again.
2. Cash and carry" business. Ma
tions should be permitted to purchase
all they want in this country, with the
exception Of arms and ammunition,
provided they pay cash with Amer
ican currency or gold, and send their
own ships to take their purchases
from American ports. The propo-
nent of this idea, Senator Vanden-
berg, believes that such step would
keep Americas neutrality intact,
would not interfere with our busi-
ness life and would make 1t difficult
for nations without means to start
a war. And at this time it is the
"have-nots" who are the more likely
to start trouble.
The chief practical fault with
such legislation is that it would IA
vor nations which have control of the
seas, or, in plain words, it would give
an advantage to Great Britain over
Germany and to Japan over Russia.
But the Senator from Michigan
thinks that it is not our affair as to
who has control of the seas. The ma
tions which want to 60 to war ought
to take care Of every possible emer-
gency.
Embargo Authority.
3. The President shall be empow.
cred to declare an embargo against
all belligerents as soon as hostilities
break out. The neutrality bill shall
set forth the various commodities
which shall come under such a
measure, and divide them into differ
ent classes in accordance with their
importance. In the first category, Of
course, shall be arms and ammuni-
ton; in the second, raw materials
principally needed for the prosecu-
ton of war; oil, copper, certain types
Of motors, etc. In the third group
there shall be other commodities
which might be useful for the manu-
facture of war materials: cotton, sui
pilates, possibly wheat. It shall be
left to the Presidents Judgment when
an embargo shall be applied and what
categories Of goods shall be included
in the sales prohibition, provided al
ways that the embargo is applied to
all beligerents alike.
4. Complete discretionary powers
shall be given to the President to pro-
claim an embargo against one or the
other group Of belligerents, giving him
latitude to prohibit the export of what
ever raw material he deems necessary.
This point Of view is represented by
the deyotees of the White House and