Evening star., 1941-05-23
Bitter Fight Pledged
In Senate 10 Prevent
Neutrality Act Repeal
Stimson, Knox Condemned
For Advocating Change;
Roosevelt Talk Awaited

For Advocating Change;
Roosevelt Talk Awaited
Condemning Secretaries Stimson
and Knox for their sharp criticism
of the Neutrality Act, Senate op-
ponents of administration foreign
policy gave notice today that they
would make vigorous, last-ditch
fight against any effort to repeal
the present law.
THE fight against the adminis-
tration's lend-lease bill will look
like pretty tame affair compared
with what will ensue after any ef-
fort to repeal the Neutrality Act"
said Senator Nye, Republican, Of
North Dakota.
while the administration thus
| far has found difficulty in inviting
an incident challenging us into war,
it would have a much easier task
without the neutrality law"
Senator Nye said President Roose-
welt had praised the act at the
time it was passed as a larger
measure of security against our in
volvement in war" The act, he
added, has kept us out Of this
war so far despite the well-known
| impatience of the Knoxes and the
Stimsons to get into war"
White House Conference Held.
Secretary of War Stimson de-
clared yesterday that the act vio-
lated our most sacred and i'm
portant tradition of foreign policy
freedom of the seas" Secretary
of the Navy Knox previously called
! the law terrible blunder." Both
said they were speaking as indl-
/ viduals.
Both of these Cabinet advisers
we're among the group called to the
White House Yesterday for one of
the regular weekly policy discussions
and progress reports on foreign
policy and the defense program.
The Secretaries of State and
Treasury. Gen. George c. Mar
shall, Army chief of staff; Admiral
Harold r. Stark. chief of naval
| operations, and Harry L. Hopkins,
supervisor of the lease-lend pro-
gram, also participated.
Earlier in the day, the President
had spoken of free American move
ments at sea, as, in letter TO
Chairman Emory S. Land of the
Maritime Commission. he expressed
assurance that American ships will
carry through the open waters OF
the seven seas implements that will
help destroy the menace to free
peoples everywhere"
Radio Address Awaited.
More positive pronouncement on
the whole question is expected next
Tuesday night when Mr.. Roosevelt
makes a half-hour radio address on
which he began work yesterday.
Back on Capitol Hill, Senator
Wheeler. Democrat, of Montana,
/ like Senator Nye, leading oppo-
nent of the aid-to-Britain program,
asserted that repeal of the Neutral
/ ity Act would mean sending Amer
| ican ships into war zones and that
such step would mean war.
There is not the slightest
chance" he added. that Congress
will repeal the Neutrality Act at
| this time"
! From Chairman George of the
Senate Foreign Rela tions Commit
tee came a statement that he had
not been approached by any ad-
ministration spokesmen with sug-
gestions for repeal of the neutral
itv law
Senator George then added that
upon careful examination. the be-
lief is not without supporting con-
ditions that the difficulty of Eng
| land would not be wholly solved by
| American naval conveying.
George Gives Views.
AN American convoy system
| might benefit the British, certainly
| temporarily, but it is not the full,
complete or final answer to the diff
f1culties now facing the British En-
pire."
Senator Taft. Republican. of Ohio,
Wlio lldS OppoScu MI NoOScfclt
foreign policies. said that 'it is
obvious that, so long as American
ships can't go to Great Britain.
the President cannot claim any
right to convoy foreign vessels"
"If he wants to convoy" Sem
ator Taft asserted, "he will have to
repeal the act"
Senator Bone. Democrat. of
Washington said repeal of the Neu-
trality Act would remove the last
shred of neutrality legislation and
be terrible mistake" But. he add
ed. this seemed part of the present
administration program.
II think freedom of the seas Is
q bloody doctrine" Senator Bone
said. Even if we assert this doctrine
and maintain it. we'll have debt
of 100000 900 900 and an Army of
a million dead"
Gillette Expresses Doubt.
The Washington Democrat staged
a one-man fllibuster in the Senate
in August. 1885, that forced consider
alton Of the original Neutrality Act
and its eventual passage.
Senator Gillette, Democrat. of
Iowa, a member of the Foreign Re-
| lations Committee, said he seriously
questioned the wisdom "of wiping
out all the remaining restrictions