Evening star., 1939-09-29

the committees refusal to allow the
subject to go to the Senate on the
ground that there was no need for
II ana that no war was coming any
now was major blow at the admin
1stration, which quietly accepted its
defeat and waited for further devel-
opments The President at that
time said that the Senators were
gambling and he hoped they were
right. If war did not come, there
would be no harm done, but, if war
did break out, American business
might be adversely affected by the
trade restrictions.
Actually, the events of TODAY
while somewhat in line with the
Presidents prediction, do not as vet
signify any great damage to Amen-
can business and industry, and there
is the added advantage now that the
whole subject will be debated in
the light Of a set of circumstances
that could not have been viewed
as realistically last summer as they
are today.
Significance of Vote.
The vote which the American
Congress takes, now that war has
broken out, will mean more than
the vote on the existing statute.
For, if the embargo is retained. it
Will indicate that the American
people have made up their minds to
forego rights to trade in the midst
OF war, and, if the embargo is
modified. 1t will be serving notice
TO all the world that America, as
the leading neutral, does not intend
TO surrender her right to trade with
neutrals IN her own ships or to sell
at her own doorstep to those who
come in belligerent ships with cash
The is to Z vote by which the
Administrators non-partisan pro-
posal has just been reported to the
Senate is not necessarily a measure
OF the strength of the proponents
or opponents, The defenders. of the
present embargo recognized that it
would be a mistake in tactics to hold
up action in the committee and at
tempt to delay debate. The Nation
wants the issue to be placed before
the Senate for discussion at once.
and next week the fireworks will
begin.
Many Senators on both sides of
the controversy, irrespective of party,
will wish to speak in order that their
constituents may know exactly how
they stood. Many organizations
have sent messages and letters and
telegrams which will doubtless be
made matter of record, but it
seems unlikely that the debate could
take more than two weeks at the
outside, for by that time every con-
ceivable argument will have been
made and hardly vote will be
changed.
Probability of Passage.
1t begins to look as if nearly all
the Senators, while not publicly
committed, have taken a stand one
way or the other. The administra-
ton has a clear majority for its
proposal. Unless some unforeseen
development occurs the Senate will
pass the measure reported yester-
day out of the Senate Foreign Re-
lations Committee.
The exact parliamentary status
which will then ensue is a matter
OF doubt. The House of Represen-
tatlves has passed a bill eliminat-
Ing the cash-and-carry provisions
and amending the existing embargo
IN certain particulars. Whether the
Senate measure then goes to the
House for discussion or whether the
House bill is amended by the Senate
and the whole thing goes to con-
ference is as yet to be disclosed.
But delay is not as readily used
as a weapon in the House as in the
Senate. Debate can be limited.
There is beginning to be a realiza-
tlon that the sooner the embargo
issue is disposed of the better for
everybody, including the politicians
who are restless to be up and at it..
They have a better chance to re-
sumo political combat when the neu-
trality legislation has been disposed
OF than while the issue is being
dragged out through the coming
weeks.
There are so many domestic ques-
tions crowding for consideration
that the administration has actu-