Evening star., 1939-04-24
Gen. Johnson Urges
Independent Course
For j. ). Abroad
Says Economic Force
Against Another Nation
Is Act Of War

on q CdSh oasis. 1he gOOQS must
be transported in foreign ships.
Advocates of change in act ,Dould
place munitions on sale on cash.
0nd-carry basis.
~ the Associated Press.
Gen. Hugh S. johnson told the
Senate Foreign Relations Committee
today that "if, as a neutral nation
we attempt for any reason to
discipline belligerent nation by
economic structures, we have COM
mitsed an act of war against her"
The former N. r. A. admins
traitor, now newspaper columnist,
added that "if we want to invoke
the instrument of war in European
affairs. let's do it with everything
we have. War is a struggle to the
death"
He advised the committee that
the only safe course for this Nation
now was to rely upon its own
strength and pursue an independ-
ent course.
This is dangerous time" Gen.
johnson said But we are still very
strong. Our safety lies in reliance
upon ourselves. It is, Of course, true
that If we make economic war with
q threat Of military war in an alli-
ance in advance-we may stop war.
It is by no means certain.
'"The threat of our tremendous
economic strength in 1917 didn't stop
Germany. We had to get into mill
tary war.
There Is no assurance that this
strategy will stop war now. 1t is
thin and uncertain chance But if
it didn't stop war, one thing is GER
tain: we would have bought war
Nobody can deny that 1t is
gamble-a magnificent gamble on
hair-line chance"
Urges Neutrality Act Repeater.
Meanwhile, two witnesses recon-
mended to the House Foreign Al
fairs Committee the repeal of exist
ing neutrality legislation
Quincy Howe, New York writer,
urged freedom of action on foreign
policy, asserting:
The President and the State
Department will then be free to
make their decisions not on the
basis of moral distinctions between
aggressors and their victims or in
relation to some imaginary align
ment of so-called loving
nations.
They will keep the dictators
guessing and they will also keep the
status quo nations guessing.
James Martin Miller of Wash
ington, former newspaperman and
former member of the diplomatic
service, urged repeal of the Neu-
trality Act on grounds it lis an alb
surd and dangerous thing to play
with" Furthermore, he said, the
present law has been abused.
Cites Chinese Credit.
It wasn't neutral, Mr.. Miller de-
clared, for this country to extend
q credit to China. He added that
If any people deserve the prayers
OF the world it is the Chinese people
but that their governments for
years had deserved annihilation."
II say that Of the present one,"
he said.
Gen. johnson said he thought at
would be simply sufficient to have a
short act authorizing the President
to proclaim danger zones in for
eign wars and then let the statute
lay down the rule that ships or
goods or even lives of Americans
risked in those zones must proceed
at their peril-that under no cir
cumstances will we go to war to
protect or avenge them.
THAT would be neutral because
1t would treat belligerents alike, it
would tend to keep us out of war
on the same theory that cash and
carry hopes to do So"
The House committee will seek the
advice soon of four presidential ad-
vtsers, 1t was learned today.
Hoping to conclude the hearings
on proposed neutrality legislation
within fortnight, Acting Chair
man Bloom, Democrat, of New York
said the committee would invite be-
fore it Secretaries Hull, Hopkins,
Woodring and Swanson.
Mr.. Bloom said 50 many varying
recommendations had been made
that the committee was eager to
have the advice of top administra-
ton officials.
Secretary Hull will be asked to
discuss diplomatic aspects, Secre-
tary Hopkins to discuss the effects
on trade and Messrs. Woodring and
Swanson to talk about military and
naval matters.
Views of Administrations.
The Secretary of States testimony
may provide Congress with the first
information on exactly what views
the administration holds on neu-
tral1ty law changes, which hereto
fore has been outlined only broadly
by President Roosevelt.
The President has taken the posi-
tion that the present law should be
modified so that the United States
never would have to take sides.
even passively, with aggressor ma
tions.
Both the House committee and the
Senate Foreign Relations Committee
have been holding hearings on pro-
posed amendments, but there has
been no outward evidence of an
agreement on any specific measure.
Senator Borah, Republican, of
Idaho, told reporters he thought
Great Britain eventually would be
able to work out a reasonable an
basement policy" with Hitler,
The Idaho Senator, ranking mi
pority member of the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee, said
he did not expect Hitler's forth
coming reply to President Roose-
velt's peace message to have any
substantial effect on neutrality leets-
Ation In this country.
Senator Borah predicted the
United States would continue to
keep up the pretense of being