Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1939-04-07
Split in Senate Group
May Block Revision
Of Neutrality Law
All Want to Avoid War,
Only Point Of Accord,
Says Johnson

Only Point Of Accord,
Says Johnson
BACKGROUND
Efforts to keep America out of
tDdr through legislation 1Dere cul-
minated in spring of 1887 Nth
passage of present law containing
broad prohibitions 1Utich may be
inuoked by President on finding
state OF 1Ddr bet1Ueen other ma
tons. Section restricting trade
NTH such nations empires on May
I. Nearly score of proposals are
no,D pending in Congress, rang
ing from outright repeal to in
creasing rigidity of statute.
By the Associated Press.
A sharp division of opinion within
the Senate Foreign Relations Com
mittee threatened today to delay, if
not prevent. congressional revision
of the neutrality law.
Senate Leader Barley of Ken
lucky expressed hope that a compro-
mise, preferably an amendment to
the expiring cash and carry" pro-
visions of the law, would be enacted,
but some other committee members
doubted any changes would be &C
complished.
Senator La Toilette. Progressive, of
Wisconsin, said there appeared to
be almost as many opinions for
solving the neutrality problem as
there were members of the 23-man
committee.
Senator johnson. Republican, of
California, said the only point the
committee members appeared to
have agreed on after hearing testi-
mony of Henry L. Stimson, former
Secretary of State, and Bernard M.
Baruch. Wall Street fnancier, was
that all wanted to avoid war.
Greater Latitude Urged.
Col. Stimson urged greater lati-
tude for the President in seeking to
preserve neutrality. while Mr.. Baruch
Endorsed a proposal by Chairman
Pittman to re-enact the cash and
carry clause of the act, placing arms
and ammunition within its scope.
The law now bans sales of arms
and ammunition to belligerents, but
the cash and carry section is eftec-
tive only until May l.
Proponents of mandatory neu-
trality legislation have sought to
prevent administration forces from
giving the President more discretion
in dealing with other nations. They
have opposed the Pittman proposal
on the ground it is designed to help
England and France in even of ar.
European war Sponsors of the plan
agree it would benefit the nations
controlling the seas during wartime.
The neutrality discussions veered
to the Far Eastern situation yester-
day when Secretary of State Hull
said American exports to Japanese
controlled Manchuria had increased
15-fold since 1882, but were prin
cipally war supplies. Secretary Hull
has complained that American firms
have been virtually deprived of op-
portunities to do other business
there.
Nye Hits Administration.
Senator Nye. Republican, of North
Dakota criticized the administration
for it's failure to invoke the Neu-
trality Act in the undeclared Sino-
Japanese War. Referring to Mr.
Hulls statement on the huge ship
ments of American arms and war
supplies to Manchuria, Senator Nye
said:
IF the neutrality law had been in
voked when it should have been in
voked. there would have been no
chance for Japan to have stored up
military supplies for possible use
against us. And we wouldn't be III
the position of aiding Japan against
China. am wondering what Secre-
tary Hull proposes to do to stop this
boarding.
Mr.. Baruch was the only witness
before the committee yesterday. He
advised against pursuit by the
OlllleO OIdleS VI any cCOIlUIIlIC Wal =
fare against aggressor nations, as
sorting it was almost sure to lead to
military warfare.
He said that placing an embargo
on sales of sall commodities to bel
ligerents, as proposed by Senator
Nye and others, would prove dis-
astrous to American economy He
recommended. instead, the Pittman
proposal to sell all supplies. includ-
ing arms, to belligerents for cash
and for transport in foreign ships.