Evening star., 1939-10-27
By ], A, O'LEARY.

BY J. A. OLEARY.
1solationists lost another round in
their fight to modify the cash-and-
carry neutrality bill when the Sem
ate defeated today the effort of
Senator Clark, Democrat. of Mis-.
souri, to bar armed merchant vessels
from American ports. The vote was
IS to 26.
A few moments later, the Senate
refused to reconsider its previous
vote against placing four members
Of Congress on the Munitions Con-
troll Board. The vote, however, was
closer, 43 Senators favoring recon-
sideration, with so opposed
The amendment was sponsored
originally by Senator Clark Sem
ator Wheeler, Democrat, of Mon
tana appealed to the Senate to re-
open the subject. saying he could
not imagine the administration OBJ
jecting to congressional representa-.
ton on the board
The Senate. nearing the end Of
four weeks of debate. is moving
rapidly toward a final test later in
the day on the main issue of arms
embargo repeal With the adminis-
tration generally conceded to have
substantial majority for repeal, the
bill is expected to pass the Senate
before evening This will move the
bill to the House. where the leader
ship will endeavor to complete
action next week.
House Leaders Confer.
On the House side, it was learned
that leaders at long meeting last
night tentatively agreed on pro-
cedure by which they hope to get
final congressional action on the
bill week from tomorrow night.
The Senate version-a neutrality
bill having been passed by the House
last SESSIONS slated to be called
up in the House Tuesday. An effort
will be made to send it to Senate
House conference by a simple order
from the Rules Committee, which
is to meet Monday.
The House members of the Con-
ference Committee probably will be
| instructed to insist on retention OF
a limited arms embargo, as provided
in the original House bill, rather
than agree to the Senate repeater.
If all goes we'll to that point, lead
ers plan for the House to debate
embargo repeal and other controver-
sial issues not more than two days"
With further Senate House confer
ences it is expected by leaders that
the measure will be in final form by
Friday night of next week.
McCarran Leads Supporters.
The proposed ban on armed mer.
chant vessels coming to American
ports was opposed by Chairman Pitt
man of the Foreign Relations Com
mittee, Majority Leader Barkley and
Senator Connally. Democrat, Of
Texas. The argument for it was
presented by Senator McCarran,
Democrat, of Nevada.
Existing law and the pending bill
already give President Roosevelt
discretionary power to regulate use
of American ports by submarines or
armed merchant vessels, and he al
ready has issued an order against
submarines. The Clark amendment
sought to make the exclusion of
armed merchant vessels mandatory.
Senator Connally declared its
! adoption would practically destroy
all of our commerce with belliger-
ents because England has we'll
established policy of arming its
merchant ships for defense only"
Senator Barkley told the Senate
1--WE have already outlawed in this
bill commerce with belligerents in
our own ships, and If We adopt this
amendment we outlaw commerce
with them in their own ships. 1t
would mean an embargo on COM
merce."
Pittman Sees No Difficulty.
Senator Pittman said the Gov
eminent will have no difficulty Ia
keeping out vessels armed in such
way as obviously to be classed
as warships. He contended, how
ever, that merchant ship with one
gun mounted on its stern for de-
fense against submarines is not q
war vessel.
In support of the amendment
Senator McCarran produced letter
from Prof. Edwin Borchard of Yale
University, favoring such a restric-
tion and suggesting that if British
ships must arm they should arm
and disarm at Halifax before enter
ing American ports.
Senator McCarran cited Supreme
Court opinion by former Chief
Justice Marshall in support of hie
argument He recalled also that q
German submarine, carrying mer-
chandise as a merchant ship, sue.
ceeded in landing in this country
during the World War. He told the
Senate that if a submarine, whether
armed or unarmed, cannot enter
American ports, then an armed
surface vessel should be in the .ame
category. ~
Although the Senate Is weary u
the long debate, Senator RasAiGJ
(See NEITTRAITTY. Pare X-a)