The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1939-10-13
Bruckarfs Washington Digest
Repeal Bill Would Extend Credit
To, Belligerents Buying in U. S.
Danger Of Getting Into Same Mess Over War Debts That
Followed World Wars Added Authority Given Presi-
dent in Bill Carries Potential Danger.
BY WILLIAM BRUCKART
WNU Service National Press Bldg, Washington, d. G.

WASHINGTON.-As the full dress
debate Of the so-called neutrality
bill continues in the senate, nlmer-
GUS phases and angles and incidents
have cropped up and demanded at
tention. 1t is easy for one side to
say that the thing must be accepted
by the senate and the house and the
country, without so much as
crossed 1T" or dotted ''i'' and it
Is equally easy for the oppositionists
to say that we should have none of
it at all. The truth is neither side
is completely correct, and Mr.. John
@. Public must remember that in
forming his own conclusions.
The bill that was reported by the
senate committee on foreign rela-
tons, I believe, must be accepted
as a sincere effort. Sixteen of
the twenty-three members Of the
committee believed it, or believed
it should have a chance to be dis
cussed fully and freely. There was
no division along the lines of Demo-
Gratis or Republicans; seven sena-
tors voted against sending the bill
to the senate because they are OPP
posed to repeal of the embargo
against shipments Of arms to any
belligerent powers, while President
Roosevelt and the majority men,
bers of the senate committee want
to get rid of the embargo.
Publication of the text of the bill,
however, shows some provisions
that have gone far to load the guns
of those who want to keep an arms
embargo in force. Some of the
members of the group opposing re-
peal were sufficiently wrought up
to accuse the administration-Mr.
Roosevelt, Secretary of State Hull
and others-of having misled the
country in telling what they think
ought to be done, by way of legis-
lation, to keep the country out Of
war. It is a condition of bad tenn
per and it is likely to cause dam
age all around. Nevertheless, until
the senate committee finished writ
ing the bill, all of the discussion
was whether to repeal the arms en-
barge; since publication of the
bill, it is shown that not only is re-
peal of the embargo sought, but per-
mission would be given for extern
sion of credit to those belligerent
nations that want to buy here.
Many Object to Ching
President Extreme Power
Another section of the bill that
was not well advertised in advance
is section giving President Roose-
welt additional authority during
threats of war. 1t allows the Presi-
dent to define combat areas" and
to forbid American ships and Amer
lean citizens from going into those
zones. That provision is highly pro-
vocative. For there are many who
believe no Chief Executive ought to
be clothed with such extreme power.
I doubt that it ever will be misused
or abused, yet it has that possible
danger within it. Having such po-
tential danger, the section is being
vigorously opposed by men just as
anxious to keep the nation out of
war as those who say that only re-
peal of the arms embargo will keep
us from being embroiled in Europe's
mess.
Debate has made it appear, thus
far at least, that the original "cash
ovl oa,.,.x,,S coo%;opc oo,cfi&r.+n q
strong bulwark against our entan-
clement. But there surely is ground
for objection to that part which was
added-that part which will give
buying nations 80 days in which to
pay. A buying nation can come to
our shores, load down many ships
and 60 away with the cargoes with
in 80 days-and say at the end:
1--WE have not the money to pay"
OF course, it will not be as raw as
that. The purchasers did that dur
ing the World war, also, and we are
still waiting for those nations to
pay more than $4,000, 000,0 900 on
those debts. / am the only CORE
spondent to report every one of the
conferences with foreign nations
when the United States tried to get
some tangible basis Of payment
worked out, .and since that time !
have had little faith in any of their
promises. The leash and carry"
section of the current bill, with its
90-day provision, therefore, strikes
me as nothing more nor less than a
breaking down of the law that Sena-
tor johnson of California forced
through the congress some years
ago. The Californian fought until
he got statute that barred any ma
ton from getting new credit here If
it still owed son its World war debt.
So-Called Neutrality Bill
Shotps Mistakes Can Be Made
1t. probably is an impossibility to
"legislate" nation into being neu-
trail. It is like legislating people
into being good. If they want to
be good, or if they want to be bad,