Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1939-11-07

showed increases over 1898 as did
II per cent of our import items.
In the matter Of commerce to
the nations at war it is believed
that both belligerent ships and
neutral ships will vastly increase
their commerce and shipping over
what they were formerly. This re-
suit will be accomplished both by
the withdrawal of American ships
from direct trade with belligerent
countries and by an increase in
commerce to those countries of
food, clothing and general sup
plies necessitated not alone by the
armies Of the nations at war but
by their civilian populations. As
the ships of neutral nations may be
attracted to this profitable war
commerce with the nations at war
American ships may find new out
lets and new opportunities for the
expansion of their services and for
the. increase of our commerce with
all OF the nations of Central and
South America and the Orient and
all other points distant from the
theater Of war.
The United States is especially
anxious to increase and to develop
not alone political goodwill with
the nations Of Central and South
America but to increase and develop
our trade and shipping and COM
merce. 1t Is confidently believed
that these high purposes will be
stimulated and encouraged by the
existing legislation and by world
conditions. 1t is, Of course, impos-
sible to estimate with accuracy the
losses and sacrifices which the
United States and her people must
necessarily suffer by the curtailment
of our shipping and commerce with
the nations now at war.
In Cause of Peace.
Great as these sacrifices are, more
stupendous than was ever made by
a great nation in the history of
the world, they are being made in
a noble cause, in a holy cause, the
cause of peace.
Under international law the
United States and her people have
a right to sell to nations at war,
as we'll as to nations at peace, all
OF the products of our farms and
of our factories. subject alone to
the limitations of contraband and
blockade. Realizing, however, the
danger of the sinking of American
vessels, realizing the danger of the
murder Of American citizens upon
the high seas by reason of unre-
Stricted submarine warfare. and de-
string above all other things not
to become involved in the terrible
and brutal war now raging in Eu-
rope, the Government of the United
States has enacted, purely as do
nestle legislation, the arms embar-
go repeal and the so-called CASH |
and-carry provisions with regard to
our shipping and commerce. Under
this act America gives up nothing
of her rights under international |
law We surrender nothing of our
sovereignty. We barter away moth
ing that belongs to our Government
or to our citizens. We make no
pledge to any foreign government.
We make no compact with any for
eign dictator or power Simply for
our own safety, for the safety of
our own people, for the safety of
our own sons, for these things alone
we are willing to make gigantic
sacrifices in respect to the freedom
OF our commerce and of our ship
ping. What we do is our own do
mestlc business; our own business
alone. Whenever we may desire
to change that policy we and we
alone shall change it.
In ancient times it was a custom
OF devout worshippers to carry Of
ferlngs OF gold or of rare wealth or
riches or of sacrificial animals and
place them upon the altar of their !
god as part of their devotions and .
proof of the sincerity of their pray
ers and invocations. America. low
ing her sons, loving the peace of her
people, with devout prayer upon
her lips that not one drop of the
blood Of a single American boy
shall be shed in the brutal and
devastating and horrible war now
raging in Europe, with a passionate
desire that no American ship may
be sunk by an unlawful and arbi-
trary act of unjustified war, that no
citizen shall be murdered
upon the high seas. humbly ap-
proaches the altar of peace and
lays upon it the temporary loss of
her Shinninp fn