Evening star., 1939-12-02
Roosevelt Urges
ExportersRefuse
Russia Planes
President Asks Firm
Front Against Nations
Bombing Civilians
By JOHN c. HENRY.


President Roosevelt today called
on American manufacturers and ex-
porters of military aviation equip
ment to continue in force their
moral embargo" against sale Of ,
such articles to nations guilty OF
unrestricted aerial warfare on civil
ian populations.
Taking his action in formal
statement drafted after consultation
with Secretary Of State Hull, the
President said:
The American Government and
the American people have for some
time pursued policy of whole
heartedly condemning the unpro-
voked bombing and machine-gun-
ming of civilian populations from
the air.
Nations obviously Guilty"
This Government hopes, to the
end that such unprovoked bombing
shall not be given material en-
couragement in the light of recent
recurrence of such acts, that Ameri-
can manufacturers and exporters
of airplaneS, aeronautical equip
ment and materials essential to air.
plane manufacture. will bear this
fact in mind before negotiating con-
tracts for expectation of these ar
ticles to nations obviously guilty Of
such unprovoked bombing"
In substance, the Presidents
declaration is repetition of one
made by Secretary Hull on July /,
1888. aimed at that time at Japa-
nese aggression against China. No
countries were named in the dec
laration.
Reports during the past 48 hours
of Soviet bombing operations
against Finnish cities, despite for
NAL appeal by Mr.. Roosevelt Thurs
day night that there should be no
resort tc such "inhuman barbarism."
precipitated today's pronouncement.
Soviet Buyers Avoided.
Actually, as reported in the Star
yesterday, American dealers al
ready were turning cold shoulder
to Soviet efforts to make large
cash purchases of aviation equip
| ment here.
/ In this connection Presidential
Secretary Stephen T. Early called
attention today to "the fine spirit Of
cooperation given by American
manufacturers and exporters to the
Governments policy as now outlined
in the Presidents statement"
Mr.. Early also disclosed that the
government of Finland has given to
H. F. Arthur Schoenfeld, United
States Minister in Helsinki, an oral
reply to Mr.. Roosevelts appeal Of
Thursday night, expressing gratifi-
cation and advising that a formal
reply was being prepared for trans
mission to Washington.
The morning conference between
the President and Secretary Hull,
held at the White House after Mr..
Roosevelt had Cancelled plans to at
tend the Army Navy football game
at Philadelphia, had given rise to
new speculation that Ambassador
Laurence A. Steinhardt might be re-
called from Moscow for consultation
and that there might be some tenn
porary modification of Finnish
financial obligations to the United
States.
Comments Not Acceptable.
Remarking that no formal answer
has yet been received to the Presi-
dents appeal for restraint in aerial
warfare, Mr.. Early took occasion to
deny that published quotations from
Soviet Premier Moltoff in Moscow
constitute an acceptable answer. AS
reported by the Associated Press,
TaSs, official Soviet news agency,
quoted Moltoff as describing the
Presidents appeal as "pointless."
You might ask the dead, the
injured and widows and orphans
how pointless such an appeal is
or has BEEN" Mr.. Early said.
Pronounced American sympathies
for Finland have lent force to several
distinct proposals here by which
material encouragement could be
offered the beleaguered country.
First of such steps is the moral
embargo" against sale of American
war planes to the Russian govern
ment.
Second would be cancellation or
postponement of financial obliga-
tions owed the United States by
Finland, always scrupulously hon.
ored by the little Baltic nation.
Third would be the severance of
diplomatic relations with Soviet
Russia.
Effective opposition to sale Of Amer
lean fighting planes to Soviet pur-
chasers is primarily spontaneous
manifestation of the attitude of
American manufacturers, quietly in
dorsed by Government officials. It's
operation was noted yesterday in re-
(See Roosevelt Page A-3.)