Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1939-11-12

Millions Of women and children may
owe their lives, before the war In Europe
Is over, to stop" signal raised by Amer
lean public sentiment against airplanes
dropping bombs on civilians
Realists here see possibility that this
humane sentiment may have such a
practical result and not 60 the way of
most sentiment in the stress of war be.
cause 1t is backed up by . moral en-
barge" against selling American planes
to nations that bomb civilians.
This embargo has not been repealed.
1t depends upon no law for enforcement.
But it has worked to keep American air.
planes from being shipped to Japan for
several months now. Time will tell ex-
actly what effect it may have in the
European war.
The so-called moral embargo" is en-
bodied in q statement by Secretary of
State Hull to the press on June II. 1898,
and in later circular letter to manu-
facturers Of fighting planes.
Exports Discouraged"
Since then, as the Munitions Control
Board has reported to Congress, the adj
ministration simply has DISCOURAGED"
the export Of aircraft, plane ornaments,
aerial bombs and torpedoes to "coun-
tries the armed forces of which are en-
gagged in the bombing Of civilian popula-
tons from the air."
In his expression of this policy on
June II, 1888, Secretary Hull recalled
that he repeatedly had condemned the
bombing of civilians, and said he was
continuing to maintain that position and
to declare to everybody that this Gov
eminent condemns such warfare or its
material encouragement.
The circular letter to airplane manu-
facturers, on July l, 1898. set out that:
I'm view Of the fact that the Secre-
tarys statement definitely condemned
bombing OF civilian populations from the
air, 1t should be clear to all concerned
that the Government Of the United
States is strongly opposed to the sale of
airplanes or aeronautical equipment
which would materially aid or encour-
age that practice in any countries in any
part Of the world.
Therefore, in view of this policy. the
department would with great regret issue
any licenses authorizing expectation, d.
rect or indirect, of any aircraft, aircraft
armament. aircraft engines, aircraft
parts, aircraft accessories, aerial bombs
or torpedoes to countries the armed
forces OF which are making use of air.
planes for attack upon civilian popula-
tions"
Unaffected by Repeal.
Repeal Of the arms embargo that
temporarily had prevented shipment of
planes and other ornaments to Great
Britain and France has not affected this
policy. or so-called moral embargo"
State Department officials have empha-
sized.
1t still stands as warning that if any
purchasers Of American planes use them
to bomb civilian populations they may
not be able to buy any more here.
So far, the moral embargo" has had
practical effect only against Japan, ef.
fectively shutting of the American air.
plane market to the Japanese whose
planes were dropping bombs on civilian
centers in China.
1t took the place, in a way, of the
legal embargo that would have gone into
effect had President Roosevelt invoked
the 1887 Neutrality Act by finding that
state of war existed between Japan
and China
There were, and are, several reasons for
not applying the Neutrality Act to the
Sino-Japanese undeclared warfare. For
one thing, there never has been a decla-
ration Of war, such as Great Britain
and France proclaimed against Germany.
1t the President should exercise his
discretion to proclaim that state of war
existed in China nevertheless, it would
cut of some American aid-such as loans,
now that the arms embargo has been
repealed-to China
The way the moral embargo" worked
to stop American planes going to the
Japanese is good illustration of the
power of American public opinion and
of effective cooperation between adj
ministration of1cials, the press and air.
plane manufacturers favorable to the
policy.
Saw Tainted" Profits.
The policy is said to have originated to
q great extent among airplane manufac-
turers themselves. Many of them did
not relish tainted" profits from selling
airplanes that were being used to drop
bombs on helpless non combatants.
They informally asked the State Depart
ment If there wasn't some way to shut
of the business entirely, explaining that
If they let the business go by there were
q few manufacturers who would 70
ahead with it unless there was some way
to enforce policy on the entire indus
try.
Without invocation of the Neutrality
Act. there was no legal way to bar the
sales to Japan, although the arms en-
barge was keeping American planes
from Spain. Therefore, the moral en-
barge" was launched, with wide publicity
given to Secretary Hull's statement.
Most manufacturers Immediately lived
up to it. Only one company continued
seeking and getting licenses for export
ing planes to Japan, contending that it
had to fulfill an old contract. The COM.
pany did not respond to informal sug-
gestions that it ought to ind q way to
stop the business.
Press correspondents kept asking the