Evening star., 1939-10-08
Reviews History Of
Neutrality Edicts
By Frederic J. Hdskin.

neutral by the issuance Of a presidential
proclamation, although In a seventh the
same result was achieved by acts of
Congress, the Embargo and Nom Inter.
course Acts of Thomas Jefferson's time.
Other great wars either have not touched
American interests sufficiently to war
rant such action or the United States
itself has been belligerent.
The United States is traditionally q
warlike Nation and has won practically
everything it has by force, yet it never
has been inclined to look for trouble
abroad, and so there are number of
important neutrality proclamations on
record.
While Congress is engaged in debat-
Ing whether or not to alter the terms
of the existing neutrality position Of
the United States it is interesting to
go over the past actions taken to pre-
serve the neutrality of the Nation. In
the hemicycle of the great Archives
Building at Washington one may see
on exhibition the originals of the more
famous neutrality proclamations from
the earliest one right down to that issued
by President Roosevelt last month in
connection with the war now going on
in Europe.
Americas first neutrality proclamation
was issued by George Washington on
April %, 1893. The occasion was the
difficulties encountered as the result Of
the Napoleonic wars. Americans had
many ships on the seas and it was the
hope that complications would be
avoided. The proclamation reads today,
as to the more important phrases, just
as the latest one reads This first neu-
trality proclamation, attested by Thomas
Jefferson as Secretary of State, asserted
American neutrality in the war going
on between Austria, Prussia, Sardinia,
Great Britain and the United Neither.
lands on the one side and France on
the other.
American citizens in any of those
countries were counselled to pursue a
conduct friendly and impartial toward
the belligerent powers" American ships
were warned not to carry contraband Of
war and were told, in effect, that if
they got into trouble they need not look
to the United States for protection. The
proclamation was issued at Philadelphia,
then the capital of the United States.
The next neutrality proclamation was
issued by President Martin Van Buren
and this was complicated and far
reaching affair. There was no major
European war at the time but most Of
the Southern American Hemisphere was
in turmoil. 1t was in the period when
the South and Central American colo
nies of Spain were following the example
Of the United States and fighting for
the independence which they won. In
spite of the proclamation, many an ad-
venturer from the United States en-
gagged in those wars or in the running
of contraband to the revolutionists, but
these did not look to the American
Government for aid They acted at
their own risk.
But between those two neutrality proc
lamations we have the extraordinary
measures which President Jefferson took
to keep the United States out of war;.
Historians since have almost unanimously
concluded that he and his Congress we're
mistaken in their action, but it is far
easier to judge now, long after the event,
than then.
At the instance of President Jefferson
Congress first passed the Embargo Act
in 1907. This was prompted by the
Milan and Berlin DEGREES of Napoleon,
who declared, in effect, that all European
waters were within his war zone and
under his control and that he would
exercise the right of angary; that is, the
right to requisition neutral shipping. This
is an old right under international law
and was exercised by Italy as recently
as in the World War The danger of in
volving the United States in a struggle
when it had not yet recovered from the
Revolution was so great that Jefferson
determined to keep out at any cost.
So the embargo put stop to all COM
merce. 1t was not just neutrality act,
it was an act providing for an embargo
ON all shipments to belligerents and to
certain others. The results were dire.
In 1907 American exports had amounted
to $40 100000. In 1908, after the embargo
had been laid, they had fallen to only
100000. The country was in the
throes of the deepest of depressions.
Unemployment was general. Ships rotted
at their docks. Riots occurred. At the
Hartford Convention, New England,
largely dependent on foreign trade,
threatened to secede from the Union In
1909 Congress supplanted the embargo
with the Non-Intercourse Act, which per-
mitted certain trade of a limited sort.
The situation was eased, but not
rer1edied. Finally came the War of 1912
and all question of non-intercourse or
neutrality was at an end. 1t was in
evitable war.
Now we come all the way down to
President Grant. On August %, 1870.
he issued a neutrality proclamation on
the occasion Of the Franco-Prussian War.
Hamilton Fish. an ancestor of the present
Representative Hamilton Fish of NeW
York, who has been so active in behalf
of neutrality legislation, attested as
Secretary of State There was no Ger
man Empire then, of course. The war
was between France and the North Ger
man Federation and her allies. The
President declared Il do hereby give no.
tice that all citizens of the United States
and others who may claim the protection
of this Government who NAV misconduct