The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-05-05

 the President in New Orleal What the career boys over looked was that the President has been given the power to em- hargo arms shipments to Italy, Germany and any other country which is sending organized forces into Spain. One of the lawyers for the Spanish government called up the State Department on this point just as the airplans was leaving, and nearly scared some of the career boys out of their wits.
 They didn't figure this point would be raised.
 TWO-Edged Power
 Some of Roosevelt's close stra- tegists now see all too clearly that, having grabbed off the most sweeping power ever given him the power to throw the nation into war-he finds one of the most complicated problems in the world on his doorstep.
 For, according to international law, Italy and Germany, having sent organized troops into Spain, are as much at war as the Span ish Rebels and the Spanish Loyal iStS.
 Mussolini may issue denials un- til he is blue in the face, but he will have a hard time making the man in the street believe that he is not in the Spanish war up to his neck.
 A partial case might also be built up to show that France and Russia also are involved in Spain, except that their aid has been less organized. And under international law, it is the Or- ganizatiOn, the training, the equipment of troops before they are sent into foreign country which is the key to the differ ence between volunteer aid and armed invasion.
 There is no doubt that the aid of Italy and Germany to the Spanish Rebels is well organized and in no sense voluntary. MT. R. on the Spot
 Already move is under way by prominent American sympathizers with the Spanish Government to make Roosevelt use his new neu- trality powers against Italy and Germany.
 There are several ways for them to do this.
 One is by a declaratory judg- ment. This is a relatively new procedure, by which two parties can go before 8 court and ask for a decision without the delay of lengthy litigation. It is virtually the equivalent of getting an ad- visory opinion from the Supreme Court.
 The American Friends of Spanish Democracy already have worked out the strategy of ordering supplies from friend- ly munitions dealer and then g0- ing into court by mutual agree ment to test 0u. certain phases of R0osevelt's powers under the Neutrality Act.
 When this information was conveyed to some of the bright boys around the White House they got extremely jittery. They even asked the pro-Spanish Americans to go slow, suggested that the Spanish Government might get 8 good break from Roosevelt and for its American friends to wait and see.
 As @ result, the American Friends of Spanish Democracy have ordered full speed ahead on their previous activitieS-collect- ing of funds, sending of medical supplies, doctors, etc., to Madrid. Terrible Headache
 But coming or going, Roosevelt is, certain to find his new neutral- ity powers a terrific headache. Sooner or later the test regarding German and Italian armed forces in Spain is bound to come.
 And when 1t does, Roosevelt will have to embargo arms shipments to those countries, or else put a virtual stamp of approval on wholesale murder by the Nazi- Fascists.
 Neutrality Signers
 Sol Bloom, who helped draft the Neutrality Bill in secret Sem ate-House conference, was defend- ing the biggest gran. of peacetime power ever given to a President.
 "Six responsible statesmen. signed that conference report" Bloom told Constantine Brown, ace foreign affairs expert, "and when six men of that calibre sign report they can't be wrong."
 "Oh, yeah?" snorted Brown. Look who they were. There was Borah, who is sore at Sem ator Vandenberg; there was Key Pittman, who is the Administra- tion's messenger boy; and there was San McReynolds of Tennes- see, who is the stooge of Cordell Hull.
 "Then there was Joe Robert