Evening star., 1939-09-28
Six-Month Truce
Urged During Study
Of Hemisphere Trade
Urueuuyon Advocates
Lifting Controbond Bor
On Goods for Civilians
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
PANAMA, Sept 28.-Debate on
controversial issues, among them
a proposed tariff truce to increase
trade, promised today to prolong
sessions of the inter American neu-
trality conference far beyond the
scheduled Saturday ADJOURNMENT
date.
The tariff proposal, advanced by
the Brazilian delegation, suggested
six-months truce during which
none of the 81 participating nations
would increase duties and a study
would be made of the entire trade
structure in the Americas.
Experts said that to give de-
tailed consideration to this and
other economic measures already
referred to committee the confer
ence would have to remain in ses-
sion a month or more.
Would Cut COntraband.
Among measures expected to pro-
woke debate was Uruguayan pro-
posal to eliminate from contraband
lists all articles destined for civil
population of warning nations. Ar
gentina and Chile prepared to sub
init measures similar to the Uru-
guayan proposal, which would call
for a joint declaration along these
lines:
That it is inadmissable that war
contraband lists include, either
conditionally or absolutely, products
or articles destined for the alimenta-
tion and subsistence of civil popu-
lations. and raw materials and
machinery for peaceful industry"
The Uruguayan delegate who pre-
sented the proposal, Pedro Manini
Rios, admitted there existed the pos
slbillty that these goods also might
be used for the armed forces, but
said that 1.-The elemental duties of
humanity oblige us not to admit
them as war contraband."
Neutrals Unjustly Hampered.
Manini Rios said complications of
the European war affected commerce
and communications of all nations
havlng no part in the conflict, and
charged that the contraband lists
were one of the principal obstacles.
He said many items on these lists
apparently were not for war uses
but on the contrary are indispen-
SABLE for the subsistence of popula-
tlons and the normal developments
OF pacific activities, such as food
stufts and wearing apparel and raw
materials and machinery not dedi-
Gated to the manufacture of instru-
ments of war"
The United States introduced
plan for creation of a permanent
committee of experts as an advisory
council on monetary and exchange
matters.
ihls was complemented by Mex
1co's request for a program to sta.
olIlze silver as a medium of inter-
national exchange and a proposal to
estaollsh an "inter-American finan-
ciai institute" to coordinate ac-
tlvlties of all central banks in Amer
ican republics.
Little Controversy on Issues.
There seemed little prospect of
controversy on the major neutrality
measures before the conference. al
though some discussion was ex-
pected on details of the proposal for
cooperative naval patrol of Amer
lean waters.
Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay
VINO already have their own agree
ment to guard the Eastern coast of
south America, were expected to
lend strong support to this plan.
Other items under consideration
included proposals for:
Creation of a commission of ex-
perts to stimulate immediate con-
struction of the Pan-American high
way.
Checking increases in freight and
insurance rates.
Economic and commercial Coop
Grafton among American republics.
The proposal for the patrol of
American waters, in which the
United States Navy presumably
would play the chief role, was the
main subject before the neutrality
subcommittee.
Proposals for coastal patrol of
the entire Western Hemisphere to
see that European belligerents re-
frain from activities in waters near
the American continent have been
submitted by both the United States
and Cuba.