Evening star., 1939-10-13
Neutrality
Continued From First Page.)

as may be necessary to carry out
the determination of the American
people that America remain at
peace" The Senator said he made
this suggestion without question:
ing the good faith of the President
in his present attitude on neutral
ity."
At the same time, he told his
colleagues, "the President of the
United States would make a tre-
mendous mistake if he regarded the
passage of this bill as in any way
symbol of popular approval of
interference in Europe"
Sees Suspicion.
"The popular opposition to this
bill, as far as it exists" Senator Taft
continued, lis based on suspicion
of the Presidents tendency to in
terfere in the European war. He
has publicly pledged his determi-
nation to keep America at peace,
and we can surely accept that
pledge. But let him not feel that
the passage of this bill in any way
1ndorses some of his earlier state
ments"
He followed this up by recalling
the Presidents Chicago speech in
1888, with its reference to "quaran-
tine of the aggressor nations" The
Ohioan referred also to the annual
message of last January, in which
he quoted Mr. Roosevelt as having
said "the defense of religion, of
democracy and of good faith among
nations is all the same fight. To
save one, we must make up our
minds to save all"
While the debate went on today,
1t was reliably reported that sup
porters of the bill are considering ac-
ceptance Of shipping amendments to
ease the effect of the bill on the
American merchant marine by
specifying zones in which this coun-
try's vessels could continue to op-
crate until such time as they may
become danger zones.
Urges Modification.
In his speech Senator Taft Joined
In suggesting modification of the
shipping restrictions, advisability of
which had been stressed yesterday by
Chairman Bailey of the Commerce
Committee, on data received from
the Maritime Commission. Dis
cussing this part of the bill, Senator
Taft said:
TT prohibits American ships going
to belligerent countries, but does not
prohibit their going to neutral coun-
tries unless the President declares
war zones around those countries.
Our ships could still go to Holland
and Belgium, right through the sub
marine zone, and yet under this
resolution they cannot go to Aus
tralia or Jamaica, where the danger
is practically non-eXistent.
I'VE should make a legislative
declaration of war zone covering
all waters within 300 miles of Eu-
rope, including Scandinavia and the
Mediterranean. But all other re-
strictions should be removed, except
in such additional zones as the
President may find to be dangerous.
This will be much less damaging to
American trade and shipping and
more effective to prevent war"
Pointing out that the 9O-day-
credit clause in the le-and-carry"
plan applies only to transactions
with governments, Senator Taft said
he sees no reed for it, but suggested
that checks and demand drafts on
American banks might be called the
equivalent of cash.
The Ohio Senator said he would
like to extend the ban against cred
its to foreign individuals and cor
porations as we'll as governments,
but recognized the difficulty of doing
that, and predicted such credits will
not be large.
He announced, however, that he
will offer an amendment to prevent
any government agency, which
would include the Export Import
Bank, from financing exports to
belligerent nations. Before the war
started, he said, the Reconstruction
Finance Corp, acting through the
Export-Import Bank, was in ef-
feet loaning to governments in all
parts of the world" Such loans to
belligerents would be unneutral and
inconsistent with cash-and- carry
he declared.
Aggressor Declared Favored.
In strongly defending repeal OF
the existing embargo, Senator Taft
asserted it favors the aggressor
against peaceful nations and is
completely illogical" To bear out
this point he declared:
I'VE sell today to Italy and Rus
sia and Japan and China, although
Italy and Russia may be In the
war tomorrow. We sell to our neigh
Dor Mexico, which has confiscated
our property and maintained the
most cordial relations with Germany
and Japan, but we refuse to sell
to our neighbor Canada, with whom
we have been at peace for l0t
wears and Mhose safetu Is essentia'