Evening star., 1939-11-16
The Neutrality Zone


An important contribution to
public understanding of the goal at
which the American republics aimed
by establishing the so-called neutral
ity zone in waters adjacent-on east,
west and south-to the American
continents was made by Undersec-
retary of State Sumner Welles in his
Radio Forum speech Monday night.
In the absence of just such clari-
fication as Mr.. Welles has now pro-
vided widely varying and distorted
explanations have been made as to
the motive behind the zone, the
means by which it is to be made
effective, and the result it would
have.
The Undersecretary's elaboration
may be summed up in four main
points:
% The efficacy of the zone in
keeping waters adjacent to America
free from belligerent operations rests
upon the willingness of the bellig-
erents to give assurances not to carry
their operations into this area;
(2) The exercise of force to obtain
observance of the boundaries of the
zone is not implied in the agreement;
90 The intention of the patrol,
which each of the American republics
is authorized to undertake, Is Gin
tended to make it possible for each
American government to ascertain
to the best of its ability the nature
of the activities which are being
undertaken in close proximity to its
shores; and
a. There exists no obligation on
the part of the United States to un-
dertake to patrol the areas not ad-
jacent to its own coasts.
Behind the whole plan is anxiety
for the preservation of purely inter-
American commercial and economic
relationships, and there is no refer
ence to the defense Of shipping to or
from Europe. The determination to
maintain these relationships, free
from the peril which always accom-
panies belligerent operations, Is
based upon World War experience,
when the lives of citizens Of the
American republics and their prop
erty engaged in strictly intra- Western
Hemisphere commerce were de-
stroyed.
The right of neutrals to attempt to
maintain their normal relationships
and to take such measures as they see
fit for the protection Of their mutual
interests, especially when they lie
distant from the actual scene Of
combat, is absolute. The American
republics are las Of inherent right,
entitled"-as the Panama declara-
ton proclaims- have the waters
through which their intercourse must
flow free from hostile acts which, by
the uncertain nature Of sea warfare,
endanger neutrals as we'll as bellig-
erentS.
A weak point is in obtaining VOL
untary compliance by the belligerents
with these rights, against the refusal
of which, after all diplomatic re-
courses are exhausted, the neutrals
have only one weapon-the use OF
force. That contingency is not yet
envisaged in the cooperation which
the republics have established among
themselves, and the patrols are
authorized solely for informative
purposes on which to base diplomatic
rather than forceful action.
The American republics are setting
many precedents in the effort to
protect themselves against war, and
the neutrality zone is one OF them.
The idea is not new, but the realiza-
ton of it is. It's effectiveness will rest
largely upon the means by which it
is applied, and upon surrounding
those means with every safeguard
against unnecessary friction with the
belligerents.