Evening star., 1939-09-09
Emergency Measures

a national emergency exists IN tfllS
country as a result of the European
war and he followed this up with a
series of executive orders designed
to strengthen our national defense,
to enforce our neutrality and gen.
orally to safeguard the peace and
security of the United States. While
emphasizing that issuance OF the
proclamation must not be interpreted
as placing the Nation on war basis,
the President pointed out that the
conditions "unhappily existing be-
tween certain nations" necessitate
limited exercise at this time of emer-
gency powers authorized under the
Constitution and Federal laws.
Among steps he ordered taken were
the expansion of the Army, Navy,
Marine Corps and National Guard
by more than 10000 men, enlarge
ment of the spy-hunting Federal
Bureau of Investigation by $50 spe-
cial agents and the expenditure
as needed Of -million-d
fund provided by Congress for
facilitating the return of American
citizens from foreign lands in time
of war.
All of these emergency measures
are necessary and all of them are
important But none of the docu-
ments signed by the President yes
terday provided for an emergency
measure which The Star is thor
oughly convinced is more essential
right now than all the others thus
far taken. This is the convening of
Congress in special session to act
on repeal of the mandatory embargo
section of the 'so-called" 1887 Neu-
trality Act, under constraint of which
the President reluctantly has pro-
claimed a sweeping ban on ship
ments of arms, ammunition and i'm
plements of war to either side in the
second world war. Questioned at
his press conference about the pros
poets of special session, Mr.. Roose-
'SAo oeAAN liz Wdo Vic llldG-
ter with congressional leaders and
that Congress certainly would meet
before the regular session convenes
on January next. He added that he
saw no reason for Congress to con-
slider anything beyond abolishment
OF the embargo provision of the pres
ent law.
The national emergency which
President Roosevelt recognized in
his proclamation is not a fiction. The
executive orders Of yesterday will
tend to protect America from some
of the dangers which beset keepers
OF the peace when totalitarianism
goes mad-dangers whirling around
our nationals caught in Europe,
dangers of unpreparedness, of
espionage, Of sabotage. There are,
however, still other grave dangers
on the horizon against which Amer
lea has no protection under existing
neutrality laws. There is the threat
OF involvement due to the lapse last
May Of the cash-and-carry plan,
under which all goods-not merely
arms, ammunition and implements
OF war-consigned to belligerents
would have been divested of Amer
lean ownership before leaving our
shores, and under which no Amer
lean vessel would have been permit
ted to carry such cargoes to countries
at war There is the even more
ominous peril that looms through
operation Of the embargo on arms
and other war implements. AS
The Star repeatedly has stressed
this Well-meant but wholly imprac-
tlcable trade restriction is working
today and every day to the advan-
tage OF the Nazis-who need no
American weapons-and to the
marked disadvantage of Americas
not-so- well-armed friends in the
front line of defense against aggres-
sion-Great Britain, France and dev-
astated Poland. President Roosevelt
and, The Star believes, a majority OF
the American people want the en-
barge removed-not for the purpose
OF pulling the Allies chestnuts out
of the fire, but for the very good ano
logical reason that the United States
can i'll afford to hamper friends who
are attempting courageously tc
smother an incipient worldwide
conflagration If Britain and France
and Poland fail to check this holo-
caust, it requires neither hysteris
nor a mind given to fantasy to en-.
vision the spread Of the fires o.
dictatorship and aggression to this
continent The threat is tangible
and real. Congress should assemble
in special session at the earliest
feasible opportunity to consider thi!
danger from a purely selfish, Amer
ican standpoint-and to meet 1t by
i,,oro ad;afa rapoo1 If tho oryns am