Evening star., 1941-09-19
Neutrality Act

The American Legion has added
its voice to the chorus of those de-
manding repeal of the Neutrality
Act. The Legion, in its resolution
on the subject, referred to the much
discussed law as the "So-called Neu-
trality Act" The term of course was
used advisedly, for, with the develop
ment of American foreign policy,
from the lifting of the mandatory
arms embargo in the fall of 1889 to
the convoy and shoot on sight
measures against Axis raiders re-
Gently adopted, the Government,
with the approval of the American
people, has dropped all pretense of
neutrality in favor of an active de-
fense program based on all-out aid
to Britain and other enemies of Nazi
Germany. The hypocrisy of retain
ing on the statute books an act de-
claring it to be the policy of this
Government to preserve neutrality
in the European war has been
pointed out by numerous advocates
of repeal.
The original Neutrality Act of 1885
and its successors of 1887 and 1899
were based on the illusory hope that
by standing aloof during any Euro
pean conflict the threat of war would
pass us by. Restrictions were placed
on trade with belligerents, on ship
ping and on travel, the theory being
that by relinquishing voluntarily
some of our traditional rights under
international law we might escape
provocative incidents" tending to
drag us into war. But with the rise
of Hitlerian aggression, the realiza-
ton daWned upon all but the most
confirmed iSolationiStS that neither
international nor domestic laws
could save us from attack if Hitler
chose to make the attempt, and that
a triumphant Axis would constitute
a grave menace to our own way of
life. Neutrality necessarily was dis
carded in favor of more realistic
policy of aid to nations fighting
aggression.
The most important remaining
provisions of the act are those for
bidding the arming of merchant
ships, the entry of merchantmen into
declared combat zones and travel by
our nationals on belligerent ships,
except under certain conditions.
None of these restrictions has sue
ceeded in preventing the provocative
incidents which they were intended
to forestall. The unarmed Robin
Moor was torpedoed deliberately by
a German U-boat, the Steel Seafarer
was sunk by bombs in the Red Sea
and the U. S. S. Greer was attacked
by a submarine near Iceland.
Although the neutrality" law pro-
hibits the arming of our merchant
vessels, our warships now are con-
voying American and other ships,
with guns primed to fire FIRST" at
any Axis submarine or surface
raider.
The proclamation defining pro-
scribed combat zones into which our
ships cannot venture specified waters
adjacent to the United Kingdom" 4"
but Attorney General Biddle has
ruled that this term does not include
British East or West Africa, the
Anglo Egyptian Sudan, Bermuda or
other British colonies not specifically
mentioned in the proclamation.
And travel restrictions have just
been lifted so as to permit American
citizens in Britain to return to the
United States on belligerent ships
"in emergency cases"
Obviously, there is much logic in
the contention that the truncated
Neutrality Act is serving no good
purpose and should be repealed.
The Presidents delay in asking for
modification or repeal may be due to
the fact that he hesitates to give the
small but vociferous isolationist mi
nority in Congress an excuse to en-
gage in another legislative battle at a
time when national unity is so i'm
perative. The opposition would be
bitter, without doubt, but there would
be no uncertainty as to the final out
come, Judging from the present tenn
per of a people overwhelmingly de-
termined to defeat Hitlerism and all
it represents. The fortnight stand
of the American Legion is fresh evi-