Evening star., 1939-05-28
Neutrality
Continued From First Page)

complete embargo upon all exports
would obviously be ruinous to our
economic life"
Representative Bloom said that
during the past two weeks he has
been circulating among his COM
mittee colleagues confidential print
of a bill embodying the six Hull
points. He added that he found
sentiment generally in favor OF the
program, and that he plans to start
hearings on it Wednesday or Thurs
day. He said he is confident he can
get it to the floor for debate.
Senator Pittman was out OF the
city until tomorrow. His plans OF
action are undisclosed.
Since the split over methods OF
approach to neutrality is less pro-
nounced in the House Foreign
Affairs Committee than in the
Senate Foreign Relations Com
mittee, the House committee is
viewed as the logical starting point
for rolling the new neutrality ball.
Even Chairman Pittman does not
agree entirely with the administra-
ton on this subject. He Is author
of a bill for the EMBRACE repeal, but
he would require belligerents to con-
form to the "cash-and-carry" pro-
yision-send their own ships after
American goods and pay for them
before they sailed off with them.
The Hull proposal and the Bloom,
bill both avoid the cash-and-carry
idea.
Opposes Arms Embargo.
Secretary Hull devoted much OF
his letter to pointing to dangers he
feels are inherent in the mandatory
arms embargo. He recalled that the
President in signing the Neutrality
Act of 1885 stated that the ''inflexi-
BILE provisions might drag us into war
instead of keeping us out" He re-
called that he himself observed IN
the fall Of 1885 that " we cannot as
sumo that when provision has been
made to stop the shipment of arms,
which as absolute contraband have
always been regarded as subject to
seizure by a belligerent, we may
complacently sit back with the feel
ing that we are secure from all
danger"
The Secretary went on:
'Our involvement in controversies
Is more likely to arise from destruc-
ton of American lives. In this re-
gard, we can effectively diminish our
risks by keeping our nationals and
ships out of areas in which there is
special danger.
The rights of our nationals under
international law may be restricted
by our own legislation along certain
lines for the purpose Of avoiding IN
cidents which might involve us in a
conflict. In indicating certain re-
strictions upon the exercise of our
rights as neutral, I do not wish to
be considered as advocating an
abandonment of these, or indeed Of
any, neutral rights, but there is rea-
sonable ground for restricting at this
time the exercise of these rights"
Can't Ignore World Events.
Mr.. Hull urged the two chairmen
to keep it in mind that mo matter
how much we may wish or may
try to disassociate ourselves from
world events, we cannot achieve
disassociation. He remarked that
"our purpose must be, at all times,
to endeavor to foster that state of
relations among nations which will
maintain the fabric Of world peace u
The Bloom resolution amends the
provision in the existing law which
requires that the Neutrality Act be-
come automatically effective when
the President finds the existence
of state of war between two ma
tions. The President must also find
that such war endangers the lives
of citizens of the United States and
threatens the peace of the United
States.
Instead Of prohibiting absolutely
the entry of American ships or citi-
zens into combat zones, as Mr.. Hull
suggests, the resolution authorizes
the President to prescribe exceptions
to the prohibition. The resolution
outlaws extending Of credit by an
American citizen to warning ma
ton, as does the existing Neutrality
Act, but again the President may
grant exceptions If he finds that
such action shall serve to protect
the commercial or other interests
Of the United States or its citizens u