Evening star., 1939-10-31
Repeal Of Embargo
Key 10 U. 5. Peace,
Pittman Asserts
Senutor. in Forum, Says
Present Legislation
Risks Entry in War

Senator Key Pittman, Democrat
Of Nevada, chairman Of the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee, spoke
on Peace Assured Through Senate
Legislation" last night In the Ma
tional Radio Forum arranged by
The Star and broadcast over a Ma
tion-wide network of the National
Broadcasting Co. The text of his
address follows:
Through the invitation and cour-
tesy of The Washington Evening
Star. I have this opportunity of
submitting to you my opinion as
to the character and effect of the
peace legislation just passed by the
United States Senate, and which
have no doubt will pass the
House Of Representatives this week
and be signed by the President.
Sixty-three Senators voted for
the passage of the act, while 80
Senators voted against its passage.
The act, in my opinion, eliminates
every reasonable possibility of a re-
currence in this war and in future
wars of incidents and controversies
which forced us into the World
War. 1t enables our Government
to safeguard the lives of our citi-
zens and the peace of our country.
This opinion is concurred in by at
least 63 peace-loving. patriotic Sem
ators. I say "by at least SO" be-
cause I believe that all, or nearly
all, of the 80 Senators who voted
against the act realize that the CASH
and-carry provisions will do more
to keep us out of this and future
wars than any legislation we could
possibly enact, and that they would
have voted for the act but for the
fact that in their public speeches
and statements they had consci-
ously or unconsciously greatly ex-
aggerated the Importance of the
embargo law and its necessity to
the peace Of our country.
When the former cash-and carry
law was before the Senate in 1897
63 Senators voted for its passage,
while only six voted in the mega
tive. That law expired by its own
terms May l, of this year. There is
today no cash-and-carfy law upon
| our statute books
Credit Proviso Eliminated.
The cash-and-carry law of 1887
while requiring belligerents to pay
in cash as general proposition
contained proviso which granted
to the President the discretion tc
permit short-time credits to bellig-
erents. The act that passed the
Senate on Friday strikes out that
provision and makes the cash re.
quirement mandatory The cash.
and-carry law of 1887 made it law.
ful for our American vessels to en-.
gage in commerce with belligerents
1t is true that under such law there
were restrictions as to the carry.
Ing Of certain kinds of goods. The
fact remains, however, that under
such old law our vessels were per.
mitted to carry goods to the bellig.
erents of the character that caused
the summarizing of our merchant
vessels in 1917 with the loss of the
lives Of our seamen.
The carry provision of the cash.
and-carry law as enacted last Fri.
day by the Senate absolutely make
1t unlawful for our American yes.
sells to engage in commerce with
belligerents wherever war exists, OF
wherever there is any danger of tn,
destruction of the lives of our citi.
zens on board our merchant YES
sells. The act passed by the Senat,
imposes heavy penalties for tn,
violation Of the cash -and carry pro-
vision. Such penalties not only ap
ply to the vessel but to the owner.
OF the vessel and the officers ane
directors of any corporation tina
owns or operates the vessel. Tn.
penalty provision provides for .
fine OF not exceeding $50,0O0 or in,
generation in the penitentiary TO-
not exceeding five years. The pen
atty in the old law was merel,
nominal and was an inducement t,
its violation.
You must remember that the EN-
barge provisions of the law of 1897
now existing, and the cash-and
carry provisions of the old law
which expired on May /, 1899, appl,
and applied only to warning pow
ers. 1t is true that the cash-and
carry provisions of the act passee
by the Senate also deals with bel
llgerents alone. It was obviousl,
necessary, therefore, to protect th'
lives of our seamen on our mer
chant vessels even in carrying OF
commerce with neutrals, if the war
ring powers should proceed to de
stroy such merchant vessels with
out notice and the lives of the sea
men on board, even though sucl
merchant vessels were engaging il
commerce with neutrals.
Combat Areas Hailed.
| So. therefore, a provision was in
cluded in the act passed by tn
Senate entitled combat areas" !
directs that when the Presiden
shall find that the protection Q
citizens of the United States so re
quires, he shall, by proclamation
define combat areas, and thereafte
it shall be unlawful -" fc
any citizen of the United States Q
any American vessel to proceed in
to or through any such comba
area"
That is one of the most impor
tant provisions incorporated in tn
law. 1t was not Incorporated i
the act of 1887 and is not the la,
today. This provision may not hav
to be used. It's use would hav
been necessary. however, during tn
summarizing Of our merchant yes
sells by Germany in 1917, becaus
most of such vessels so destroye
were not engaged in commerce wit
belligerents but with neutrals.
. the same situation should arise i
this war as arose in March, 1911
: there would be only one way
protect the lives Of our seame
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