Evening star., 1939-09-23

| toward getting u. Gouid Lincoln.
this country into the European
| war.
Boiled down-With both sides to
the controversy proclaiming their
determination to keep this country
out of war-the contest becomes one
of method method to maintain
this country's position of neutrality
in the conflict which already has
en2ulfed the great nations of Eu-
rope. The President insists, in ef-
feet, that to leave the law as now
written means we will be drawn
into war-that American ships going
into the war zones with oil, wheat
steel and cotton for the British and
French inevitably will be sunk by
German submarines. The mere
stoppage of the sale and shipment
OF arms and munitions to France
ard England, he argues, will not
prevent this country from being
drawn into the war.
Other Kinds Of Unneutrality.
AS a substitute, the President
proposes that the embargo be re-
pealed on arms and munitions and
that safeguards be thrown around
the shipment of all goods, whether
arms or wheat, from this country
to the war zones, SO that American
ships will not be sunk. He has in
dicated he prefers to be allowed to
deal with this matter of shipments
of goods in American vessels-with-
out any hard-and-fast, mandatory
law being written. But that he is
not likely to get.
His opponents in the fight over
the neutrality laW-most of them
say: "All right, we will agree to
keeping American ships out of war
zones, whatever they may be car
rying, but we want to keep the
arms embargo, too. Then We will
not be accused of furnishing arms
and munitions to the only set OF
belligerents who can come across
the ocean to get them. 1t would
be unneutral to furnish them to
England and France, which control
the sea-"
In reply to the last argument the
President may point out that it Is
also unneutral to provide England
and France with all the raw ma
terials which 60 into the manufac-
ture of arms and munitions-steel
and cotton, etc.-when Germany
cannot get those materials from
this country any more than they
| can arms.
"Education" Drive Suggested.
Both sides in the controversy are
leaving no stones unturned. The
| President started the battle by call
ing the congressional leaders of both
major parties and ALI M. Landon
of Kansas and Col. Frank Knox OF
1llinois-the Republican national
ticket of 1936-to confer with him
on the eve of the opening of Con-
gress. Since then he has called
Senator after Senator to the White
House and put the issue squarely
up to him. He is using all his
persuasive ways to line them up fol
repeal of the arms embargo.
His very emphasis of the need o1
| bringing abouv the repeal of the
arms embargo, placing it before the
adoption of any cash and carry pro-
vision, has led some of his op.
ponents to charge that his purpose
is clearly not a neutral one.
The anti-repeal bloc is going te
the country-if need be through ar
| independent and outside commit
tee or organization designed to in
form the American people on the
arms embargo issue and the neu-
trality situation generally. The
creation of such a committee has
been discussed in their meetings
1t is not their purpose to have the
committee as an official adjunct
The committee, if it is formed, will
be wholly outside the Senate men,
bership, it is said.
Industrialists' Position.
Former Gov. Philip La Toilette
of Wisconsin spent yesterday in
Washington and went over the mat
ter of forming such committee
to fight repeal with the anti-repeal
Senators. He attended a meeting
of the bloc in the Office of Senator
Borah. Like his brother, Senator
Robert M. La Toilette, the former
Governor is intensely interested in
the neutrality fight. Whether a
committee is formed or not, as now
discussed, Mr.. La Toilette is likely
to make some speeches in opposi-
tion to embargo repeal. 1t has been
suggested that other prominent
American fgures-Henry Ford, Col
Charles Lindbergh and former
President Hoover-be enlisted. Mr..
Hoover, while he is very insistent
that this country remain out Of the
war, has made no definite statement
of his position on the proposed arms
embargo repeal. Nor has Col. Lind
bergh dealt with that particular
phase of the matter.
Mr.. La Toilette, if he becomes
active in this fight, is a persuasive
f1gure-an orator Of great ability
and charm.
Some Of the country's big indus
trialists are siding with the anti
repealists. They are tremendously
anxious to keep this country from
being involved in war, despite the
fact that in some quarters they are
charged with seeking to make huge
gains by selling munitions and arms
to the belligerent countries. What
they fear is that repeal of the arms
embargo might in reality prove a
step leading to involvement of this
country-and they don't want to
take a chance on it. They believe
that if this country does get into
the war industry will be regimented
as never before and taxed as never
SOME STAG ROOFS.
80 wrong because the order was
placed hap hazard. Consider your
roofing contractor hrst of all
his experience. reputation, integrity.