Evening star., 1940-02-16
WASHINGTON c. FRIDAY FEBRUARY 1s 1s
Speedy Action Urged
On Bill 10 Ban Airmai
FLIGHTS 10 Bermuda
Clark Demands
Ssnots Committee
Tuke Stond
~ the Associated Press. :

~ the Associated Press.
Although rebuffed once by the
Senate, Senator Clark, Democrat, Of
Missouri today demanded speedy
action by the Foreign Relations
Committee On . bill to ban atrmail
flights to Bermuda Is long as British
censorship operates there.
He tried unsuccessfully on the
Senate door yesterday to insert such
= provision in the Treasury-Post
once appropriations bill.
Senator Clark's charge that British
censorship 1T Bermuda constituted
illegal rifiing" Of United States
malls touched OF Senate discussion
not only Of that situation, but Of the
recent German threat to sink i1eu-
tral vessels which had been forced
into British ports for contraband
search.
Chairman Ptttman Of the Foreign
Relations Committee, who opposed
Senator Clark,s amendment, said to-
day that there were other methods"
which could be used by this Govern
ment to halt interference with
American mails and shipping. He
declined, however, to elaborate.
Urges Deliberative Course.
Senator Pittman told the Senate
yesterday that the time might be at
hand now for retaliation against the
British, but II it was, no legislation
should be passed until 1t had been
considered by q Senate committee
and the State Department.
Senator Reynolds, Democrat, Of
North Carolina, said talk of retalia-
ton reminded him that Congress
had lifted the arms embargo last fall
"for the purpose OF assisting Great
Britain"
speaking Of retaliation" he said,
"Great Britain retalated by putting
an embargo on our tobacco and our
cotton and stopping our ships and
searching our mail"
In the House Representative
Mas, Republican, of Minnesota
urged that American warships be
used to carry overseas mail. He ac-
cused Great Britain Of trying to
drag the United States into the war
by adopting q contraband control
policy designed to force Germany
into acts which would anger Amer
leans.
Senator Pittman said grave con-
sequences were involved in the Ger
man threat to sink American ships
touching British ports. He asserted
that Great Britain had no right,
under international law, to force
American vessels into war zones.
Germany knows at this time that
under our law our vessels cannot be
and are not armed" he said. "She
knows they will stop and submit to
search and seizure.
Therefore, to submarine an
American vessel would be not only
an illegal, but a brutal act. The
worst Of it is that the repeated tax
ing Of the lives of American citizens
under those conditions would excite
this country"
Amid this congressional discussion
Of foreign problems, the State De-
partment disclosed that it Is re-
quiring cash in advance" to repre-
sent British and French interests In
Germany. > ''".
Similar Services In Last War.
| During the World War the United
States reformed similar services
Congress made larger appropriations
for the purpose, but the belligerents
did not pay for all the expenses in
| CURED.
Representation includes LOOKING
after prisoners and interned civil
hans, arranging for exchange OF
prisoners If requested and acting as
custodian for government properties
such as embassies and consulates.
In the present war the State De-
partment refused to ask for any ap-
| preparation. Instead, it requested
the allies to set up q revolving fund
here in dollars which could be drawn
upon whenever necessary. The al
lies agreed.