The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1939-07-27

SIll1 ABOUT an even USI dIl1SA6
Washington observers whether
Congress will adjourn around
the first of August or stay in ses-
sion indefinitely, wrangling ov-
erneutrality legislation.
The action of the Senate Com
mittee on Foreign Affairs, in
voting, twelve to eleven, to post
pone consideration of neutrality
legislation until the next session,
is not necessary final. The hope
for some compromise between
the Administrations desires and
those of Congress still persists.
e can be stated indisputably
that the entire membership Of
both houses of Congress and the
entire Executive branch of Gov
eminent, from the President
down, are in absolute and COM
plete agreement in one important
point of national policy. They
all want Fundamentally to keep
the United States out Of war
any war. The disagreement is
wholly on what particular means
will best accomplish that pur-
pose.
Shall the United States forbid
the sale of arms and war sup
plies to any nation engaged in
any international war? The pre-
sent law requires the President
to proclaim an embargo against
all belligerent nations in case OF
war.
This plan of keeping America
neutral has the support OF prac-
tically all of the Republicans and
some of the anti-Administration
Democrats in both houses, thus
bringing party politics into an in
ternational question and creating
the belief that good deal OF the
opposition to the Administra-
tons desire to have the neutrali-
ty law amended is based upon
the desire to embarrass the Pres
ident, rather than upon the real
welfare of the nation.
The position of the Admins
tration was expressed in a long
statement by Secretary Hull who
stated fatty that the present neu-
trality act would tend to draw
the United States into war ra-
Their than to keep the nation out.
He recommended that the law
be amended, if Congress contin-
ued to believe that special
neutrality law was required, so
as to eliminate the present arms
embargo. 1t is the right, in in
ternational law and precedent,
he said, of any nation to buy or
sell arms to any other nation,
under any conditions, if they are
able to buy and the sellers are
able to deliver.
Mr.. Hull's Proposals
Mr.. Hulls proposals were:
To prohibit American ships
from entering combat areas; to
restrict travel by American cit
liens in combat areas; to require
that goods exported from the
United States to belligerent
countries shall be preceded by
transfer of title to the foreign
purchasers; to continue the ex-
listing legislation respecting loans
and credits to warning nations;
to regulate the SOLICITATION and
collection in this country of funds
for belligerents, and to continue
the licensing system under the
munitions control board covering
Importation and expectation of
war supplies.
The net effect of the Admins
tration proposals would be, it is
agreed, to give England and
France an advantage. They have
the funds to buy war munitions
in America, much of them in
"earmarked" gold already on de-
post in American banks. The
relationships have no such finan-
cial resources. England and
France have the ships necessary
to carry American supplies
across the ocean and could easily
prevent their successful trans
portation to their enemies.
The argument against the Ad-
ministration program is that,
such being the case, the Roose-
velt-Hull plan would be un-neu-
trail in reality, since it would ia
vor one side against the other.
Last War Analysed
Back of all the neutrality re-
strictions imposed by the present
law is the belief held by many
that it was the sales of munitions
to the Allies before we got into
the World War which dragged
us into the war, to insure collec-
ton of what the allied powers
owed American bankers.
That belief nerSiStS. in SDite of