Evening star., 1939-09-22

for "such measures as will protect
the neutrality, the safety and the
integrity Of our country and at the
same time keep us out of war;" there
was scarcely a Senator or Repre-.
sentative on either side Of the cham.
ber who did not join in the ap.
plause. He expressed his thought
again, and even more forcefully.
when he declared near the end Of
his speech that "our acts must be
guided by one single, hard-headed
thought-keeping America out Of
this war" and again Congress rose
to him practically to a man. This
was no perfunctory handclapping,
nor was it the scattered kind evoked
by portions of his remarks. It came
in full volume and it spoke mill
family on behalf of peace.
Avoids Mistake.
Mr.. Roosevelt's speech was clear
and admirably argued statement Of
the case for repeal of the manda-
tory arms embargo. 1t had been
reported after his conference Of
Wednesday with leaders of both
parties that he would ask simply for
repeal Of the embargo and a return
to the principles of international
law. He did not make that mistake.
II 1t was not clear already, it has
been made clear within the last few
days, from the expressions of men,
bers OF Congress arriving for the
special session. that repeal of the
embargo can be accomplished only
If 1t is accompanied with safeguards
against our involvement In war
through attacks on American ship.
ping. Along with repeal, that is to
say, there must go the cash -and-
cary plan, in some form, providing
that belligerents can receive goods
from the United States, whether
arms or any other commodity, only
when they lay cash on the line and
take them away in foreign ships.
Not only did Mr.. Roosevelt show
that he is prepared to accept safe
guards, but he specifically proposed
them.
He stated as one of his objectives
that the foreign buyer of American
goods be required to take title to
commodities purchased by belliger.
ents and, as another, that the exist
ing prevention of war credits to bel.
Igerents be continued. He said that
If these objectives were reached,
either through legislation or through
executive order, they would add up
to the requirement that all pur-
chases must be made in cash and
all cargoes must be carried in the
purchasers own ships, at the pur-
chasers' own risk"
This is the cash-and-carry plan.
Hints for Flexibility.
1t was plainly the view Of the
President that the desired results
could be obtained through executive
order as well as through legislation.
BY stating the alternative, he made
a bid for discretionary powers, which
1t Is altogether unlikely that Con.
gress will give him. He did this,
however, in manner wholly con.
ciliatory. What he said, in effect,
was this: It would be better, In
view Of the constantly changing war
situation, to deal with this matter
OF safeguards as flexibly as possible,
leaving considerable area of dis.
cretion to the executive branch, but,
II you prefer, set up the necessary
safeguards through the more rigid
method of statute law.
In the best democratic tradition
OF give and take between the Execu-
tive and Congress, Mr.. Roosevelt
said:
'The Congress, of course, should
make its own choice Of the method
by which these safeguards are to be
attained, so long as the method
chosen will meet the needs of new
and changing day-to-day situations
and dangers"
Brightens Repeal Chance.
The Presidents temperate and
reasoned speech, proposing as It
does the creation of definite safe
guards against inflammatory "inci.
dents" on the high seas, brightens
the prospect that the arms embargo
"a measure playing directly into
the hands of the dictatorships-will
be repealed. He stressed not only
the argument that the present law
Is wholly inconsistent with the an.
cient precepts of the law of nations"
but the purely material argument
Of the economic benefits Of repeal
to the United States. He spoke, a.
the exceedingly solemn occasion de-
manded, without pyrotechnics. and
he spoke on q note Of conciliation.
He pledged himself without reserva-
ton to the support of measures to
keep the United States out Of war.
In answer to those who are saying
that repeal Of the embargo would
be q step toward war-the theme Of
. large part Of the anti-repeal prop.
aganda with which Congress is now
being drenched-he declared that
his program carries greater protec.
ton for American lives and prop.
erty than any this country has ever
possessed.
Thus the issue is joined between
the revisionists and those who would
leave things as they are.
Things Is they are permit Ameri.
can ships. carrying American goods
every whit as essential to the war.
ring nations as guns and shells, to
60 into zones Of the utmost danger.
Things as they are, as the President
pointed out, encourage incidents like
those that helped to draw US into
the first Word War.
The issue remains in doubt, but
the odds favor embargo repeal. plus
the adoption Of cash and carry, and
the odds are better by virtue Of the
matter and the manner Of the press
ident's speech.