Evening star., 1939-04-05
BY John C. HENRY.


Warning that the present Neutral
make the United States the next
victim of attack" Henry L. Stimson,
Secretary of State under President
Hoover. appealed to the Senate For
eign Relations Committee today to
revise the statute to vest greater
discretionary powers in foreign af-
fairs to the Nations Chief Executive.
II am not impressed" the gray
haired statesman remarked with de-
liberation, with the fear that in
that zone presidential discretion is
likely to be abused.
ut Is my observation that in no
sphere of political action is the Sob
ering effect of terrific responsibility
upon one man so marked as in the
sphere of our country's relations with
the outside world. Certainly in the
case of the two wars in which we
have been involved within my life
time the presidency was the most
cautious and conservative element in
the country. clinging to every effort
for peace until it was clear either
that the people were determined
upon war or that no other course
than war would preserve our safety"
With virtually the full membership
of the 23-man committee present,
Mr.. Stimson shook his finger SOL
emnlq as he declared:
II weigh my words when I say that
I believe that our present Caucas-
ian civilization is threatened by the
gravest danger with which it has
been confronted for four centuries"
Stimson First Witness.
Mr.. Stimson testified as the first
witness on half dozen proposals
to repeal or revise the Neutrality
Act Chief of the proposed changes
in an amendment by Chairman
Pittman of the Foreign Relations
Committee to permit the sale of
arms and ammunition to belligerents
on 'cash and carry" basis. Such
sales now are prohibited.
Before the committee met this
morning Senator Pittman urged
that the neutrality law be revised
quickly because any changes made
during a war might be criticized as
unneutral
1t was along this line OF thought
that former Secretary Stimson said
that should a general war start in
Europe this spring. the present neu-
trality law might facilitate result
that would make the United States
~the next victim of attack"
Backs Thomas Amendment.
Under questioning by Senator
Borah of Idaho, ranking Repub-
1ican on the committee and for
merly its chairman, MI. Stimson
spoke his support for the pending
amendment sponsored by Senator
Thomas, Democrat, of UtaL. to en-
power the President and Congress to
select the aggressor nation and ap-
ply the prohibitions of the law
against it alone.
Il think that bill would satisfy
my chief objections to the present
act he told the veteran Idaho
Senator
The best we can do is to draw a
law defining broad policies and give
to the President the power to adjust
them to world events and changing
circumstances. If necessary, you
might give Congress the power of
approval"
States Punishment Steps.
Asked by Senator Shipstead,
Farm-Labor, of Minnesota, how he
would punish" aggressor nations,
Mr.. Stimson replied:
Il would cease to assist in his ag-
gression. AS policy for the United
States. that might mean lot"
Amplifying this point, he cited
the benefit to Japan in buying great
quantities of metal and potential. if
not actual. munitions from the
United States. The former Cabi-
net member rose half-angrily from
his chair to add:
If it would be a punishment to
deprive Japan of those advantages,
I am in favor of the punishment.
johnson Asks of Next Step.
"When the President has selected
an aggressor where do we go?"
Senator Johnson, Republican, of
California, inquired. Il address you
very earnestly because I want to
avoid war. 1 want to avoid it if
possible. Doesn't such step lead
you directly to warp"
Il don't think it would have such
effect Mr. Stimson replied. THE
idea that we should be scared off is
almost like having an inferiority
complex"
Exactly" Senator johnson snap
ped. And as a matter of going to
war, you may attribute to me an
1nferiority complex"
DO you believe the California
Senator pressed, I'VE should join
with Britain, France and Russia in
an alliance at WARP"
mot unless it became dangerous
to us not to do so," the witness re-
piled. If it became a matter of
national defense, I would join them
in minute-before they were
beaten"
You make this wholly a matter
of national defense, and I do like
wise, but I won't give the President
(See NEUTRALITY, Page A-3D