Evening star., 1939-05-17
The Neutrality Hearings

1t seems worthy OF comment that
during the five weeks in which the
Senate Foreign Relations Commit
tee has conducted hearings on pro-
posals for amendment of the pres
ent Neutrality Act there have ap-
peared before it no SpokeSmen for
the White House or the State Depart
ment. A review of the testimony
discloses that not word thereof was
supplied by Secretary Hull or by any
other official representative of the
State Department. An inquiry at
committee headquarters evokes the
explanation that no official of the
State Department asked to be
heard-and that the committee ex-
tended no invitations in that di-
rection.
The five weeks of hearings pro-
duced voluminous testimony which
is now being prepared for printing
minus recommendations of any kind.
The purpose of the printing, it is
stated, is to enable members of the
committee who could not attend all
the hearings to catch up on what
was said When all committeeman
have digested the testimony, the
chairman will call a conference at
which formulation of a report will
be discussed. Apparently the COM
mittee will make up it's mind about
the important neutrality problem
without benefit of specific advice
from the President or the Secretary
OF State-although, under our sys-
tenn of government, the conduct of
our foreign relations is vested pri-
marily in the executive branch. Ger
tain 1t is that the founding fathers
never contemplated that Congress
would tie the hands of the President
to the extent that the 1887 Neutrality
Act has tied them by virtue of it's
mandatory arms embargo provisions.
The only expression that has come
directly from the President in this
connection was in his annual mes
sage to Congress last January, when
Mr.. Roosevelt warned that attempts
to "legislate neutrality" might "oper-
ate unevenly and unfairly" might
actually give aid to an aggressor
and deny it to the victim" Legislat-
Ing neutrality is desperately risky
business for the simple reason that
legislators, being only human, are not
possessed of clairvoyant powers No
man, except by chance, can prepare
today a detailed formula that will
keep the United States out of war
some day in the future, because the
particular set of circumstances that
may lead to war is never the same.
On the contrary, such efforts, cloaked
under probably sincere and at least
superficially persuasive claims Of
"peaceful' intent, may-through
probable legislative amendment of
the formula in the event of its future
conflict with our real national in
terests-of themselves involve us in
war. That is why the trainers of
the Constitution intended that the
executive branch of the Government
should have wide latitude in admin
istering the Nations foreign policy
and why their obvious and wise in
tent should not be deviated from
today.
Neutrality is a national mood. 1t
cannot, in democracy, be legislated
Into existence. Any futile effort to
DO so, no matter how sincerely in
splred, can so handcuff those charged
with the ultimate responsibility of
conducting our national relation
ships with foreign countries as to
render this Nation Intellectual If not
impotent for realistic action in it's
own best interests.
One thing the world should be
made to understand today and for
all time: That we are considering
our own interests in the world pic
ture exclusively-precisely as every
other nation is; that we know it is
w Jul OW1l AllGCACot w NC IllOL Z
friendly with friends than with those
who are unfriendly, and that
although we hope for and strive for
and pray for peace on earth, we if
peace is not vouchsafed the world
are prepared to act, always along
the lines of our self interest, prompt
ly, realistically, and-it may we'll be
conclusively.
There has been some criticism of
what has seemed to be lack of ad-
ministration leadership in the cur
rent battle over neutrality legislation.
The probability is that the President
and his counselors have feared that
Intervention by the administration
might kick up hornets nest among
intransigent isolationists and possibly
lead to legislation that would circum-
scribe presidential authority even
moro than now. In view of all the
circumstances, the best thing for
Congress to do as promptly as pos