Evening star., 1939-10-23
Arms Bill Vote
Due This Week,
Roosevelt Told
Senate Leaders Call at
White House.; Debate
Starts Hour Early
BY J. A. O'LEARY.


Roosevelt at the White House today
that tncy have strong hope of pass
ing the cash nd-carry' neutrality
bill, repeating the arms embargo,
this week, according to Majority
Leader Barkley.
Meanwhile, the Senate began the
fourth week of debate an hour
earlier than usual with Senator
Wiley, Republican, Of Wisconsin
announcing he will vote against
lifting the embargo, but emphasizing
that the issue is not one of leading
this country into the European war,
no matter which side wins in the
embargo fight.
In his first conference with Senate
leaders in recent weeks the Presi-
dent saw Vice President Garner,
Majority Leader Barkley and Minor.
ity Leader McNary.
Senator McNary told reporters
afterward it was the consensus Of
those present that vote on the
measure would be reached by Friday.
Senator McNary is opposed to the
administration bill, but he was re-
ported to have agreed with Senator
Barkley and Mr.. Garner that 1t
would be approved by two-to-one
ma jority.
1t is understood the conference
was held, not for the purpose Of
receiving any suggestions from the
President on the legislation, but
merely to advise the Chief Executive
of the status of the measure at the
Capitol
Hope for Debate Limit.
Before the Senate recesses this
evening, Senator Barkley was ex-
pected to renew his efforts to OBJ
tain a unanimous consent agree
ment to limit debate and expedite
action on details of the bill when
consideration of amendments starts.
Although such an agreement failed
Saturday afternoon, leaders were op-
timistic it would be accepted today.
Senator Tobey, Republican, of New
Hampshire offered an amendment
to the bill today to make it un-
lawful for any foreign ship to use
the American flag or other dis
tinctive signs as ruse to deceive
the enemy and escape capture.
The amendment provides that any
vessel violating the provision would
be forfeited to the United States
with its cargo and the master of
the vessel fined not more than
$40, 900 or imprisoned not more than
two years, or both.
Senator Tobey charged that "such
a practice was INDUCED in By at
least one major belligerent Eng.
land) during the last European War
and while the United States was a
neutral Nation"
Loss of Guarantee Seen.
The Senator said England an
nounced recently it is arming its
merchant vessels and Germany
has served notice that under this
circumstance its submarines cannot
afford to come to the surface for
visit and search and risk a broad
side from the armed merchant ves-
sci. The use by such armed mer-
chant vessels of the American flag
as war ruse to deceive the enemy
deprives our flag of it's guarantee
that vessels sailing hereunder are
unarmed vessels of neutral
nation"
Senator Clark, Democrat. of Mis-
souri,. making his second speech
against repeal of the embargo, called
1t first step toward war and said
that If we are to become huckster
OF deadly weapons he would prefer
to go all the way in"
The Missouri Senator declared the
dictator form of government is said
to be the best for the conduct of q
war and predicted that if this coun-
try becomes involved in the present
war it will be putting in pawn our
dearest liberties" He again criticized
the War Department for having pre-
pared detailed plans for industrial
mobilization in advance of an emer-
gency.
Opening today's debate at IL m.
Senator Wiley summed up the con.
clusionS he has reached from listen.
ing to three weeks of debate as
follows:
First, that the repeal or the fall
ure to repeal the embargo would not
necessarily be step toward war:
second. that majority of the Sena-
tors were for repeal; third, that in a
debate where there is so much merit
in the arguments on both sides and
where the Senate vote on the issue
has been virtually determined, It
would be no compromise with per-
sonal convictions to permit the
studied judgment of my constitu.
ents to be the determining factor,
I am satisfied that a large
majority of my constituents in Wis
consin feel that the embargo should
not be lifted. I have not arrived
at that conclusion from my mail
alone, some of which may have re-
suited from organized pressure
groups. No, that conclusion repre-.
sents an honest evaluation of public
(see NEUTRALITY, Page A-55