Evening star., 1939-06-10

berS OF Congress
are asking what
has been the
effect of the G. Gould Lincoln.
visit on the chances of the pending
neutrality legislation, sponsored by
the Roosevelt administration and
designed, it is said, particularly to
benefit Great Britain and France
in the event of war abroad.
To many the visit of the British
sovereign and his queen has dem
onstrated that blood is thicker than
salt Water-that while the Atlantic
Ocean still separates this country
and England, that tight little island
from which so many of the fore
bears of Americans came, there
exists tie between the two peoples.
Undoubtedly King George and
Queen Elizabeth have left behind
them many pleasant memories.
The supporters of the neutrality
law amendments proposed by
Secretary of State Cordell Hull, hope
to translate this good will into
votes in both the House and Senate
They hope that it will be possible
to knock from the law the manda-
tory embargo against the shipment
of arms and munitions from this
country to belligerent nations in the
event of war They hope that the
proposal to give the President wide
discretion in fixing combat zones
lpfn uyhJnh
American cargoes may not go may
be written into law and also the
other changes sought by the ad-
ministration.
Opponents Gauge Glamour.
Capitol Hill opponets of the elimi-
nation of the arms embargo in
time of war are fully cognizant of
the potential effect of their majes-
ties visit on the members of Con-
greSs who must vote on this legis-
latlve proposal. They realize the
glamour which has surrounded the
brief tour of the Capital City of
these delightful guests. And they
are trying to estimate the effect
which it has had.
The House Committee on Foreign
Affairs is to meet again Monday in
an effort to whip into final shape
neutrality bill. so-called-a bill to
change existing neutrality legisla-
ton in accordance with the desires
OF the administration. 1t is ex-
pected that the committee will in
the end conform to those desiresA
and that the House itself will follow
suit. On Tuesday the Senate For
eign Relations Committee is to meet
to decide whether the committee is
willing to do anything about the
neutrality laws. In that committee
of the Upper House, whose members
have widely divergent views. there
is promised a real fight Yet even
there it is expected that the royal
visit will not have been without its
effect.
All of which has set the bitter
enders to talking, privately so far,
about the politics involved in the
visit of Britains King and Queen
This may crop out in the open. once
the Senate and the House have been
presented with neutrality bills
framed along the line of the admin
istration proposals. Indeed, some of
the members of the Senate are al
ready promising vigorous debate.
Administration May Decide.
The administration. it is said, may
eventually have to decide whether it
is willing to stand on the good i'm
preston of the strong relations
existing between this country and
Great Britain, created abroad as
we'll as in this country, by the cordial
reception of the King and Queen.
The alternative, it is said. may be
a bitter fight in the Senate during
which opponents of any move that
might take this country into Euro
pean politics or war may, on their
side, give the world an impression
that this country intends above all
else to keep out Of entangling
alliances of any kind
The belief is expressed now that
the reception in this country OF
King George and Queen Elizabeth,
plus the official expressions of good
will by the President, cannot fail to
have their effect in the totalitarian
states of Europe-a warning that the
United States intends to align itself
definitely with the democratic ma
tions-particularly England-in the
event the need arises. Would a
debate in the Senate, with a large
number of Senators taking the
cause of American isolation, eradi-
cate this impression abroad? 1t is
something the administration lead
ers may have to consider--par-
ticularly if there is real danger that
their neutrality amendments may
be indefinitely delayed or defeated
in the Senate.
The suggestion has been advanced
that rather than stir so bitter a
discussion in the Senate, the pro-
ponents of the neutrality changes
may be willing to let the matter
drop for the remainder of the pres
ent session, after the House shall
have acted favorably on the ad-
minitration bill.
Indecision May Aid Administration.
The wide diversity of opinion in
the Senate Foreign Relations Com
mittee over what should be done
about neutrality legislation may, in
the end, play into the hands of the
administration, which at least seems
to know what it wants. There are
Senators who wish to leave the law
as it is; there aie others who wish
to repeal all neutrality legislation
and let American course be guided
simply by so-called international
law; there are still others who would
like to re-enact the old cash-and-
carry provisions of the law which
have recently expired, and finally
there are the administrationists.
", -, L.