Evening star., 1939-09-03

Neutrality Act
Only Part Of Power
Given President
Many Laws Designed
To Keep Americans
Out Of Foreign Wars
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
President Roosevelt has a broad
range of powers, aside from those
conferred by the Neutrality Act,
which he may exercise to preserve
American neutrality.
Some are remnants of the World
War, some were put on the United
States statute books before the
World War. AS a whole, they give
the President about as much power
as does the Neutrality Act. All are
designed to keep Americans from
helping one side or the other in a
conflict.
BY virtue OF a law Of 1917, the
President, in a war in which the
United States is neutral, may de-
tain any armed vessel, American or
foreign, in an American port until it
is proven to him that the vessel
will not be employed against any
nation with which the United States
is at peace and that 1t will not be
sold to a belligerent nation.
Right to Search Ships.
The President may order the ship
searched, may even order its crew
off the boat if his suspicious are
aroused.
He may require the owner Of
vessel to give an oath before de-
parture of his vessel from an Amer
ican port that his cargo will not be
transshipped, or, if it is to be trans
shipped. to make a full statement
as to whom, where, etc.
He may prevent the departure of
a ship when he has reason to be-
lieve it will carry fuel, arms, am
munition, men, supplies, dispatches
or information to any warship of
belligerent. This, however, is also
covered by the Neutrality Act of
1887.
The President also enforces a
wide variety of provisions of the
United States penal code of 1909
relating to the maintenance of neu-
trality. The code covers many ac-
tivities of Americans that might
prejudice American neutrality.
1t forbids:
Enlistments Forbidden.
Accepting and exercising COM
mission to serve a belligerent by
land or sea;
Enlisting in the service of bel
ligerent as a soldier, marine or sea-
man on board any warship;
Enlisting another person in such
service;
Hiring another person to leave
the United States with the intention
of enlisting;
Fitting out or arming and COM
missioning any ship to be employed
in the service of a belligerent;
Increasing the guns of belligerent
warship or increasing their caliber;
Setting on foot or providing or
preparing the means for any military
expedition.
Here are other provisions the Presi-
dent will enforce:
No belligerent warship is to be
permitted to make use of an Amer
ican port from which a vessel of an
opposing nation has departed. until
at least "a hours after the latter ship
left.
Warship Restrictions.
A warship must leave within "a
hours after its entrance into an
American port except in case of bad
weather or of requiring provisions
for its crew or of needing repairs.
But it must leave as soon as possible
after "a hours without taking on
supplies beyond what may be neces-
sary for her immediate use. The
same warship may not again fuel in
an American port until after three
months have passed.
If there are several vessels of
belligerents in an American port,
they must leave alternately, first a
vessel of one side, then a vessel of
the other.
No person within the territory or
jurisdiction of the United States may
take part, directly or indirectly, in
the war.
The President also can proclaim
that American ships may not carry
arms or soldiers to belligerents or
attempt to break any blockade which
may be lawfully established and
maintained.
He may also proclaim that Amer
leans who claim protection of this
government and misconduct them
selves toward belligerent will do
so at their own peril.