Evening star., 1937-04-30
NEUTRALITY HELD
THREAT TO TRADE
New U. S. Policy Criticized
by International Law Con-
ference Speaker.

Americas new neutrality policy, ap-
proved now by House and Senate,
contains serious threat to the Presi-
dents trade agreements policy, dis
tinguished gathering of experts in
international law were told today.
The joker whereby one New Deal
program may nullify another. lies in
the words materials of war" Miss
Phoebe Morrison of the Yale Univer-
sity Law School, said in an address
to the American Society of Interna-
tional Law.
If the definition (of war materials)
is to be left in administrative hands" 4"
Miss Morrison told the gathering at
the Carlton Hotel, there is an OPEN
ing for trade curtailments, uncertain
in their nature, which may we'll serve
to nullify the purpose which the trade
agreements seek to serve"
The neutrality resolutions restric-
ton on trade with belligerents in
arms, ammunition and materials of
war. except on cash-and carry basis,
constitutes an embargo, Miss Nor
rison declared, adding and embargoes
are not friendly gestures. calculated
to encourage fourishing trade"
Embargoes Not New.
Lawrence Preuss, assistant professor
of political science at the University
of Michigan, pointed out, however
that embargoes on commodities other
than munitions in the interest of neu-
trality is nothing new.
Such trade bars were set up during
the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, the
Spanish-American War of 1898 and
the World War by the principal Euro
pean neutrals and Brazil and China,
Preuss said
Among Miss Morrison's practical OBJ
jections to embargoes was that they
fail to fulfill their objective of en-
barrassing the belligerent. Italy, she
said, was only antagonized by sane
tions imposed during its war with
Ethiopia and combatted them success
fully by rationing her trade.
Umpires learned in international
law and in the rules of warfare
should be chosen by the world at large
to watch the behavior Of battling ma
tions and keep accurate count Of
violations of fair play, the society was
told by John H. Spencer, adviser to
the Ethiopian government, who drew
from the history of the Italo-Ethi-
opian War the conclusion that exist
ing methods are futile in keeping
check on instances of outlawed tao
tics in the midst of hostilities.
Both the League of Nations and
the Red Cross failed to settle the
numerous accusations and cross-ac-
cusations Of violations OF the laws
of warfare arising in Ethiopia, Spen-
Ger said
would it not, therefore," he asked,
''be possible to envisage convention
which might institute panel of rep
resentatives Of all the states, from
which panel, in a manner similar to
that established for the Permanent
Court Of Arbitration at The Hague,
might be chosen a commission to be
invested for the period Of the HOSTILE
ties with the function of enquiring into
the alleged violations Of the law OF
warfare, and with the right Of dis
patching delegates to the zones Of hos
tilities to serve as neutral observers
in the manner of military attaches,
bV who in distinction from the latter,
might be empowered to publish the re-
suits Of their flndings?"
Farley Closes Tomorrow.
The thirty-flrst annual meeting of
the American Society of International
Law, which opened last night with a
talk by James Bowen Scott, president
OF the organization, on the late Elihu
Root, who, as Secretary OF State more
than 80 years ago. was instrumental
in arranging The Hague Peace Con-
ferences, will close with banquet to-
morrow at 7:30 pm, when Sumner
Welles, Assistant Secretary OF State,
will be the chief speaker.
Speakers today were to include
Charles Cheney Hyde, professor Of
international law and diplomacy,
Columbia University; William S. Cul-
bertson, former Ambassador to Chile,
and Henry S. Fraser.