The Washington times., 1939-01-25
Trouble Feared

United States.
Trouble Feared
In the Washington view it might
entangle this country in the trou-
bled European waters which 1t
sought to avoid by invoking the
neutrality act in the beginning
To revoke the neutrality act so
long as the civil war continues IN
Spain. it is held. would be an act
of unneutrality. and America S
basic foreign policy still remains
to keep out of Europe's quarrels.
This was pointed out by Presl-
dent Roosevelt yesterday at his
press conference. A reporter,
pressing him on the point OF the
Spanish embargo. asked if it was
implied that this country's foreign
policy is flexible.
The chief executive replied in
the negative and said the cor
respondent was being dldactlc.
Continuing, he said that specific
policy cannot be outlined for 20
years ahead but that it does not
mean that basic policies are tIeX-
ible. and therefore noneXistent.
This nations fundamental for
eipn policy, the President as
serted, began in 1776 and has been
forming ever since. 1t was then
that George washington enunc1-
ated the policy of no foreign en-
tanglements."
The President referred questions
on the legal status of his author
ity to lift the neutrality act to
the State Department. Some
authorities, among them former
Republican Secretary OF State
Henry L. Stimson, have asserted
recently that the President could
lift the embargo by executive proc,
lamation. Mr.. Roosevelt said this
legal phase has been under study
for the past month but that ne
did not know the exact status.
Wording of Act
At the State Department it was
pointed out that, in addition to
the revised neutrality act OF May,
1896, a special joint resolution OF
Congress on January 8, 1885, i'm
posed an arms embargo against
Spain. This. the State Depart
ment holds, could be lifted only by
act of Congress.
The State Department pointed
to the wording of the neutrality
act which provides that when
ever the President shall find that
a state of civil strife exists in a
foreign state and that such civil
strife is of a magnitude or is being
conducted under such conditions
that the export of arms, ammuni-
tion, or implements of war from
the United States to such for
eign state would threaten or en-
danger the peace of the United
States" the President shall i'm
pose an arms embargo.
The President can lift the en-
barge, the act states, only when
ever, in the judgment of the PreSi-
dent, the conditions which have
caused him to issue any proclama-
ton have ceased to exist"
Accordingly, State Department
legal experts have advised the
President, it was learned, that only
by act of Congress, or cessation
of the civil war in Spain, can the
arms embargo be lifted.
Opinion of Hull
In his last official opinion on
the matter, made last March 81,
Secretary of State Hull, referring
to the wording of the neutrality
act, said:
II am of the opinion that
there has been no change in the
situation in Spain such as to
warrant the President in revok-
ing his proclamation of May /,
1887, prohibiting the exporta-
tion of arms, ammunition, or
implements of war to that
country"
The President and his State De-
partment advisers have held to
this position despite the pressure
of the most formidable propa-
ganda campaigns unloosed on
Washington since the days prior to
Americas entry in the World War.