The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1939-09-30

NNOllLuluCO 4IOIIl rage ~
of the % members of Pittman's
committee, johnson summoned re-
porters to a corner of his Office. He
pointed to a framed copy of the
Johnson act, signed by President
Roosevelt on April 10, 1884, and
said:
1--WE were all very proud of that
when he signed it,"
OF the presidents neutrality pro-
gram, he said:
1T seems to me at first blush to
be an abrogation of the johnson
act. I'm going to devote my eff
forts to drafting an amendment to
preserve that act. The president
and all these other people have
talked about cash on the barrel
head in connection with this propos-
ed sale of munitions to belligerents.
Now it's 80 days.
ut seems to me that a 90-day
credit would be in violation of my
act back door violation.
don't know how you can call a 90
day credit anything but loan. I
haven't looked this up carefully, but
think can see where this pro-
vision comes within the purview of
the act. will be glad to be proved
wrong, but if I'm right I will take
any means within power to protect
the act"
Loan" Construed Differently
Pittman SAID that construction
might be given to the word loan
that would not include ordinary in
terna tional credits with relation to
export goods.
These matters are generally
transacted through 80 to To-day
drafts" he said. These transac-
tons are generally considered az
cash transactions in any country"
Sen. William E. Borah, r., Ida.
co-leader with Johnson of the isola
tionistS, said that he had not inter-
preted the 90-day clause as anything
but cash" He said he couldn't
understand why Pittman considered
it modification of the johnson act
Pittman, he said, would have had
trouble" had he offered that inter-
probation when the foreign relations
group considered the proposed bill
yesterday and Thursday.
Program Released
Preliminary to the start Of senate
debate Monday-debate which will
survey the entire field of foreign
policy-Pittman released for publ
cation today formal report on the
administration program, saying that
it was designed to preserve the
neutrality and the peace of the
United States and to secure the
safety of its citizens and their in
terests."
THE committee" he said, "was of
the opinion that the provisions in
existing law providing for an en-
barge on arms, ammunition and i'm
plements of war should be repealed
and not re-enacted in any form
The committee is of the opinion
that the United States cannot main
tain its neutrality so long as such
embargo provisions remain upon our
statute books.
Contrary to Law
"It is contrary to the accepted
preceptS of international law which
prescribe that any belligerent may
purchase any articles or materials
in any neutral country. Belliger-
ents as well as neutrals have relief
from time immemorial upon this
law. 1t has for hundreds of wears
been recognized by both belligerents
and neutrals to govern their conduct
towards each other and is today SC
recognized by the governments OF
the world with the exception of the
United States"
The report concluded that reten-
ton of the embargo cannot in the
opinion of the committee be admin
istered in an equitable or neutra,
manner or will serve to maintain the
peace of the United States"