Evening star., 1941-09-17
Gillette Asks Revision
OF Neutrality and
Lease-Lend Laws
Iowa Senator Wants
Powers of President
Redefined in Acts
BACKGROUND

posts extending from Iceland to
South America. President Roose-
Uelt has promised that the supply
lines to these points iUiH be main
tanned and has asserted hke,Dise
that this Government ,DtH deliDer
the goods to Britain. In gradual
progression OF steps tOtDdrd our
fullest aUar aid, reuision of Nen-
trdlity Act may be coming up.
BY the Associated Press.
Senator Gillette, Democrat, OF
Iowa. a frequent administration
critic on foreign affairs. proposed
today that both the Neutrality and
Lease-Lend Acts be revised because
of President Roosevelt's shoot-on-
sight orders to the Navy.
Although other foreign policy foes
have pledged last-ditch fight
against any such attempts, Senator
Gillette told reporters that despite
his personal opposition to Mr.. Roose-
velt's course, he thought it "inevit-
able" that Congress consider
changes which would leave no
question where the Presidents
authority is or how far it goes.
Mr.. Roosevelt at his press confer
ence yesterday refused, however. to
be drawn out on questions involving
specific future action. and he was
equally reticent on the subject OF
naval tactics. The Capital was dis
appointed if it had looked for any
amplification of the pronouncements
the President made in his speech
last Thursday night, when he barred
defensive waters" to Axis raiders
and directed the fleet to safeguard
all friendly shipping in those seas.
Not Limited to Conveys.
There was hint from Mr.. Roose-
welt, however, that methods other
than by convoy escort were being
contemplated for protection OF COM
mercial shipping.
Refusing to comment on convoy
possibilities, the President ADDED
significantly that amateur strateglsts
should not consider this the sole
means of protecting shipping. He
refused comment later on the pos
sibility of arming merchant ships.
1t was considered possible that the
President might have been limiting
the establishment of safety lane
to Iceland. The Royal Navy, in such
a case, could take over guardianship
of the cargoes from Iceland on to
the British Isles.
Under such an arrangement. cruls-
ers, destroyers. submarine chasers
and aircraft of the Atlantic fleet
would patrol regular beats" policing
designated corridor along which
lease-lend traffic could flow. This
ARRANGEMENT would have the same
virtue as a convoy system in releas-
ing large numbers of British ships
for intensified activity against
U-boats nearer Great Britain. where
most of the sinkings have occurred
Effectiveness Doubted.
Whether such policing could be
Accomplished so efficiently that no
commerce raider dare enter the
patroled zone was matter which
some authoritative sources were in
clined to doubt.
In proposing Neutrality and Lease
Lend Act changes, Senator Gillette
said he felt that the Nation had
been committed to definite course
of action. and, regardless of the wis
dom of that course, good Americans
will support the Commander in
Chief in commitments he has made
ITO insure that those commit
ments already made or possible in
the future conform to the legislative
views, I think it is highly essential
that the neutrality law and the
Lease-Lend Act be restudied and SO
clarified that there can be no ques-
ton as to congressional intent" he
continued.
Senator Gillette said the posi-
bility of arming American ships to
protect themselves in certain wa
ters-a step reported to be under
contemplation in administration
1uarters-would pose to Congress the
question of repeating the Neutrality
Acts prohibition against such ac-
ton.
Wants Conveys Barred.
Moreover, he went on. if the Navy
was to put into effect the Presidents S
orders to guard the supply-laden
ships of other nations in the North
Atlantic sealanes, Congress ought
to clarity its position on a provision