Evening star., 1939-03-20

UrSt OF three articles outlining
present and past neutrality legis-
latton and suggestions Which
haze been made for changing the
laU.)
By the Associated Press.
Neutrality legislation IN the
United States is nothing neW-the
flrst act was approved by George
Washington in 1894, almost 145
years ago.
1t was designed to keep the
United States out of the war which
revolutionary France had declared
on England. 1t forbade American
citizens from accepting commissions
to fight in either army and pro-
hibited the enlistment of men and
the arming and vessels for the serv-
Ice of any government against a
country with which the United
States was at peace.
The year before Washington wrote
to Thomas jefferson (then Secre-
tary of State):
1T behooves the Government of
this country to use every means in
its power to prevent the citizens
thereof from embroiling us with
either of those powers"
Proclamation in 1.93
The neutrality law which Congress
then enacted had been preceded in
1898 by proclamation warning
American citizens against joining in
the hostilities, and telling them they
carried contraband at their own risk
and that violations would be pun
ished.
The proclamation and the law
created deep impression in Europe
because they asserted, in effect, the
determination of the new republic to
keep out of the quarrels of the Old
World if it could. Neutrality was
comparatively a new idea, and con-
sequently no nation had any rights
as neutral.
The principles of the first Ameri-
can neutrality law were so we'll
founded, however, that it since has
come to be accepted as a standard
of conduct adopted by the majority
Of nations.
The Neutrality Acts which Con-
gress has passed in the last four
years grew out of the Italian war
against Ethiopia and the general
threat to European peace which it
engendered.
Loans and Arms Banned.
A resolution adopted in August,
1885. prohibited in time of foreign
wars the export from the United
States of arms or ammunition to
any belligerent Granting of loans
or credits to the belligerents also
was banned. An exception was
made, however, in the case of a
Latin American nation engaged in
war with a non- American nation.
The act had not been on the
statute books long before the Span
ish civil war broke out and
confronted the administration and
Congress with new situation,
because the act had provided neu-
trality only for war between or
among two or more foreign States" :"
In January, 1887, Congress rushed
through resolution to cut off ship
ments of arms to Spain. Although
there was little legislative opposition
at the time, supporters of republi-
can Spain later appealed for it's
revocation.
With threats of war growing in
Europe. Congress then turned its
attention to drafting a permanent
neutrality act-the previous one ex-
pired May l, 1887. 1t is this "perma-
nent" act which the Roosevelt ad-
ministration now wants Congress to
revise.
Provisions of Law.
The President recently told re-
porters the present legislation has
not contributed to world peace and
may have been partly responsible
for threats of war. The law pro-
vides, in brief
When the President finds that a
state of international or civil war
exists, he draws up a list of war
materials which may not be ex-
ported to either warning nation.
The belligerents may purchase other
supplies only if they pay cash and
carry them away in foreign ships
The latter is called the cash and
carry" provision)
This law gives the President Ger
tain degree of discretion in deter
mining when the embargo on war
materials shall be put into effect
For instance, Mr.. Roosevelt never
has applied it to the Sino-Japanese
conflict, because Japan never has
made formal declaration of war.
Some members of Congress want
to enact a mandatory law giving
the Chief Executive no leeway
whatever in it's application. The ad-
ministration. on the other hand,
wants as flexible a law as possible.
That's the issue which may stir
Congress to fiery debate over Amer