Montana labor news., 1937-02-11
PROTEST u.s..
NEUTRALITY RESOLVE

war ana faSclSm IN a special state
ment on the joint resolution on neu-
trality, directed against aid to the
Spanish Loyalist government, which
was rushed through the House and
Senate a few days ago.
The American League, in its re-
statement of its neutrality policy,
emphasized the difference between
international war and an internal
Instruction, and pointed to the posi-
ton of the Union during the period
of the War of Secession. At that
time the United States government
insisted on its right" according to
the Leagues statement, ito purchase
freely abroad, and on the denial of
that right to the Confederacy."
The League statement reads in
part: 'The United States recognized
the legally constituted, d~emocratical-
ly elected Spanish government.
American policy and international
law have both long upheld the right
of recognized governments to sup
press armed revolts and freely to
purchase supplies including arms"
The new neutrality policy of the
United States, as expressed in the
joint resolution, would place vast
discretionary powers in the case of
internal conflict in the hands of the
President. The League declares that
it is particularly" opposed to "giv-
ing the President any discretionary
power in such situations"
The New Republic, writing edi-
torially, declares.
The President has said a good deal
about the need of supporting democ-
racy against dictatorship. The United
States is opposed to fascism and fas-
cist meddling. The constitutional
Spanish government, which was at
tackled by General Francois rebels,
is a democratic one. Franco himself
would not have got very far if it had
not been for aid from fascist Italy
and Germany, and if THE govern
ment had been able to buy the for
eign arms and supplies which it
needed. Why should the United
States decline to sell arms to a dem
ocratic government confronted by a
military, fascist rebellion?
Jay Franklin, friendly critic of the
Administration, comments as follows
on discretionary power in the hands
of the President:
Our professional diplomats regard
neutrality" as a legal device by
which we can get ready to support
and join the winning side in any
big war, and in particular to rush to
the aid of the British Empire, to-
ward whose Dominions we are de-
veloping a sort of Monroe Doctrine.
This is also the sort Of neutral
ity' President Roosevelt would like
to have-a neutrality which will
leave to him the choice of when,
where and how much to be neutral,
and in general to use national
power to what he considers our best
advantage at the time.
The general tendency Of the major
powers to intervene in the Spanish
situation-in addition to the direct
aid to the Fascists by Germany,
Italy and Portugal-is further illus
trated by the Anglo-Italian Mediter-
ranean accord signed on January 2
Vera Micheles Dean, analyses an i'm
portant aspect of the agreement as
follows in the Foreign Policy Bulle-
tin:
More important in its direct bear
ing on the Spanish crisis is the state
ment in which the two countries
"disclaim any desire to modify, or
so far as they are concerned, to see
modified, the status quo as regards
national sovereignty Of territory ii
the Mediterranean area"-a state
ment amplified by notes annexed tc
the accord in which the Italian for.
eign minister, Count Ciano, confirms
the British governments assumption
that, SO far as Italy is concerned, "the
integrity of present territories Ct
Spain shall in all circumstances re
main intact and unmodified." This
exchange of pledges-interpreted as
a warning to both Germany and the
Soviet Union-presumably bars Ital-
ian occupation of the BaleariC
Islands, as well as a division of Span
ish spoils between Italy and Ger
many. At the same time, it might
obligate Britain to prevent the estab-
lishment in Spain of a separate So
cialist or Communist state, such as
appears to be emerging in Catalonia
When the text of the joint resolu'
ton was presented at the last minute
to Congress the progressive bloc wa!
taken off balance, and it was passed
with only one dissenting vote, by
Rep. John t. Bernard, Farmer-La
borite of Minnesota. Many Con
gressmen, according to the news re
ports, mourned their action in favo-
of the joint resolution. Som
ascribed their vote to fear that thei
constituencies would not have under
stood a vote against neutrality.
Congressman who are sincerel,