Evening star., 1939-09-18
A False Issue

wisdom of repeating the arms en-
barge progresses, it is becoming in
creasingly apparent that the real
and vitality important issue involved
in the making of that decision may
be obscured by the efforts of isola-
zionist spokesmen to confine their
discussion to the wholly false thesis
that we must retain the embargo or
60 to war. That-and this cannot be
stated too emphatically-is not the
real issue, and any attempt to create
an impression to the contrary is
fraught with grave danger to the
welfare of the United States.
The true issue before the country
today is whether our best chance of
staying out of the war lies in keep
ing intact our present neutrality
legislation, including the arms en-
barge, or in repeating the embargo
and adopting what is called the
cash. and-carry plan.
In recent days four prominent iso-
lationists Senators Borah, Nye,
Vandenberg and Clark-have made
public statements with respect to
the embargo and all have given the
impression that its repeal would be
tantamount to active participation
in the war. Senator Clark has even
gone so far as to suggest that the
advocates of repeal want to lead
this country into the European con-
flict.
There is no doubt that these Sena-
tors are genuinely concerned with
keeping America at peace. But it
may well be doubted whether they
are contributing to that end by
stressing the false embargo or war"
issue and ignoring the cashand-
carry plan, which the President, the
Secretary of State and many other
men prominent in public and pri-
vate life believe offers this country
its only real opportunity of escaping
involvement in the war.
Under existing law, the shipment
of arms, ammunition and imple-
ments of war to belligerents is
banned by the embargo. To that ex-
tent, this country is aiding the
aggressor in Europe, who is already
we'll armed. But at the same time,
| the present legislation imposes no
restrictions on the shipment of the
more important raw materials which
go into the making of the finished
implements of war. And these ma
terials may be shipped in our own
vessels, exposing them to the dan
ger of being sunk by German sub
marines or seized by the British
Navy if an attempt should be made
to run through its blockade of the
Reich.
The cash-and- plan would
repeal the embargo, thereby with
drawing such aid as we are now CIV
ing Germany and enabling the
United States to furnish finished war
supplies to the French and British,
whose success in the war, in the
opinion of The Star, is of sufficient
Importance to the future welfare of
this country to make it advisable for
us to extend this limited support to
them. But there is another, and
more important, aspect Of the CASH
and-carry plan. 1t would require
belligerents-and in this case only
Britain and France could buy in our
markets-to pay cash for their pur-
chases and transport them in their
own ships, thus virtually eliminating
the danger to our own shipping
and the consequent risk of being
drawn into the conflict.
The Star is convinced that the
United States will be better insu-
lated from the war by repeal Of the
embargo, accompanied by adoption
of the cash-and-carry plan. 1t be-
lieves that the present issue is not
that of keeping the embargo or going
to war, but rather whether retention
of the embargo or substitution of the
-and-carry plan is our best as
surance of peace. If the real object
of the current debate is to safeguard
the welfare of the country, the rela-
tive merits of the embargo and the
cash-and-carry plan must be frank
ly and fully discussed, and If the
isolationist Senators cannot or will
not get down to that vital and fun
damental issue, it is essential that
the administration supporters in
Congress force the debate into that
channel when the special session is
convened.
DL (I: