Evening star., 1939-03-27
Support Lined Up
For Revision Of
Neutrality Act
Senate Body to Study
Pittmun Proposal
Wednesday
BACKGROUND

BACKGROUND
Present Neutrality Act OF United
States provides that 1D1len Presi-
dent determines state OF Dar
eTtSts betDeen ttDo or more for
etgn nations act shall be inuoked
and thereafter it is unlaWtul to
ship aDar supplies to any of the
oeltfDerents;; loans may not be
made to the ,odrring countries
and Americans trapel on bellig-
erent ships and in 10ar zones at
their o1On risk Demand for re-
uasions to allop belligercnts to
ouy here on cash basis has gro,pn.
By the Associated Press.
Strong administration support was
reported in Senate circles today to
have been lined up for the proposal
OF Senator Pittman, Democrat, of
Nevada to expand the cash and
carry" provisions of the Neutrality
Act.
Senator Pittman has suggested
that munitions be sold to warning
nations If they pay cash and trans
port them in their own ships. The
present law, when invoked, forbids
the sale of arms to belligerents, but
lets them buy other provisions on q
cash and carry" basis.
The Senate Foreign Relations
Committee, which Senator Pittman
heads, will discuss revision of the
Neutrality Act Wednesday. The ad-
mlnistration is seeking greater dis
cretion for the President than the
present law allows.
In other phases Of foreign rela-
tions, there were these weekend de-
Velopments:
Senator Borah, Republican, of
Idaho declared in a radio address
there was no reason for the United
States to aid the European democ-
racieS.
Navy Seen Stabilizing Force.
The Treasury announced that a
net total of 1868 902 900 of foreign
capital was sent to the United States
in 1888 for investment or safekeep-
ing.
Japan led in purchases of steel
products and scrap iron in the
United States last month. The
Netherlands was second and Brazil
third, the Commerce Department
disclosed.
The Foreign Policy Association, a
private research organization, said
IN a study OF national defenses that
United States sea power was the
best guarantee against aggression
In the Western Hemisphere.
Maj. George Fielding Eliot. who
prepared the study for the associa-
ton, said this country's Navy might
become "a stabilizing force" in in
ternational affairs comparable to
that of the British Navy in the past.
In the difficult years Immediately
before US he said. the existence
OF American sea power. guarantee
ing as it will the exclusion of ag-
gression and the spread of totali-
tartan power from two of the worlds
great continents. may SIMILARLY
prove stabilizing force, not
WA AZ WAAS AA Aeo COAlIlCN dCtitls
ties, but certainly worldwide in its
influence for peace"
Discussing foreign policy in rela-
ton to national defense, Maj. Eliot
said there were three possible poll
cies:
The first, he said, was merely
the static defense of the continental
United States against invasion" and
would expose this country to "a
state of affairs in which air bases
and naval bases of powers, now or
potentially inimical to us. will be
established within striking distance
of our own shores"
The second was said to be a policy
of cooperating with other powers
to resist and check "aggressors in
Europe and the Far Feast" He said
this would necessitate building up
"at least the framework of a great
citizen army and the complete regi-
mentation of all our resources to
transport it across the sea and to
provision it when it gets there"
A third possible policy, he said, was
defense of the Western Hemisphere.
Maj. Eliot expressed belief this could
be done without regimentation at
home or involvement in Europe and
the Far East"