Evening star., 1939-10-31

implements of war from going into
Germany through Italy and Rus
sia, or even through Rumania.
I could not have anticipated such
condition at the time that voted
for the embargo act. At the time
I voted for it, I thought it could be
administered justly. Now I know
that it cannot. If we enacted law
which at the time we believed just,
and afterwards we discover that it
is unjust. we should repeal it.
There is still another grave in
justice in the embargo act. 1t per-
mits a country like Russia to arm
to the hilt through the purchase of
arms, ammunition and implements
of war from the United States, and
then when prepared, prevent coun-
tries like Finland, Estonia, Latvia,
and Lithuania from preparing for
defense by simply starting war
against them. When she starts war
against them the embargo act goes
into effect as to all of them.
Answers Argument.
Now as to the second argument;
that is, that it is inhuman to per-
NIT arms and ammunition to be ex-
ported to belligerents:
How any citizen can support such
argument so long as his Government
permits its citizens to furnish to
warning powers the scrap iron that
makes the bomb, and the gasoline
that runs the airplane that drops
the bomb, is beyond my imagina-
tiQn.
Now as to the third one; namely,
that the repeal of the embargo con-
StltuteS an Intervention:
1t is not seriously denied that pass
ing the law would not be an inter-
ventiOn, and therefore it is Giffi-
cult to see how. having no domestic
law would be intervention. Under
the international law as it has ex-
listed from time immemorial, it is
not unneutral for neutral govern
ment to permit belligerent govern
ments to purchase arms, ammuni-
ton and implements of war in its
country, or to purchase any other
kind of material In fact, the great
writer's on international law have
contended that such was the only
| safe way to be neutral. All writers
on international law agree that nc
change in the domestic law is un.
neutral If it bears equally upon tht
belligerents. 1 believe that I have
shown that the law at present
operates unequally and injure.
France and Great Britain, and aid
Germany. I think it is obvious tina
If we have no embargo law botf
belligerents will obtain equally ou
arms, ammunition and implement
of war.
We hear it reiterated that the re-
peal Of the embargo will be the frs
step toward war I contend tina
it will be the first step away from
war because it is the only act O,
our books that will subject us t,
taking sides, thus arousing tn
hatred of people
1t has been said that if we repea
the embargo act that then next W,
will repeal the cash provisions O
the act and extend unlimited credit
and that then, when Great Britain
and France have exhausted thel
securities, we will give them NOR
credit without security and tha
then, it appearing that Great Brit
ain can't win and can't pay he
debts unless we send soldiers owe
to help win the war. that we vii
send soldiers over to help them vii
the war.
Aspersion on Congress.
That argument might be de
nounced as the heighth of absurdit
if it were not pitiable in that
brands majority of the member
OF the Congress of the United State
as weak, pusillanimous individual
who have not sufficient will powe
to do what is right today for fea
they will do what is wrong tomorrow
1t brands the majority of the mem
bers of Congress as inhuman. a
men and women who would be will
ing to sacrifice the lives of thou
sands, possibly millions of our boy
to save some money.
The only excuse for such arpu
ments is to blind the reason of ou
citizens and to influence ther
against an American law, the strong
est law we could possibly enact, I
preserve the lives of our citizens an
keep us out of war. They have a,
tempted to arouse the animosity {
some OF our citizens against Gres
Britain. I hold no brief for Gres
Britain. I am seeking solely, an
as intensely as ever performed an
act IN my life, to preserve the live
OF our citizens and to make it DOS
slole for the United States to kee
out of this war.
In commenting upon nv answe
to Col. Lindbergh's last speech,
newspaper published that: pitt
man drops the mask which admins
traitors and leaders have employed
tne mask that repeal of the embare
Will make us more neutral. He say
the major object of repeal is to hel