Evening star., 1941-09-19
Neutrality Act Repeal
Possible in Senate,
Opponent Comedies
Roosevelt Forces Hold
l2-Vote Margin, but
House Is Dubious
~ the Associated Press.

~ the Associated Press.
A leading opposition strategist
conceded today that the administra-
tion could win Senate approvaIby
the margin of, dozen votes-if it
sought outright repeal of the Neu-
trality Act in furtherance of its
program of aiding Britain.
Pointing out that any such pro-
posal was likely TO provoke heated
and lengthy debate in both Houses,
this legislator said an informal
count of noses indicated senatorial
opponents of repeal could muster
no more than 81 votes. II short of
. majority.
He declined. however. TO speculate
on the outcome in the House Some
observers have said that the divi-
sion of opinion there is sharp and
the issue in doubt, although the
action of the American Legion this
week in urging outright repeal of
the law was expected TO have some
effect.
MAY Seek Partial Revision.
This evident uncertainty, as well
as the prospect of long argument
on all of the aspects of the act, has
caused administration leaders to
consider seeking only partial re-
vision of the law 10 permit the
arming of American merchant ships
plying in the defense waters" from
which President Roosevelt has Or
dered the Navy to clear Axis war
craft.
A proposal of that nature would
leave temporarily undiSturbed the
laws other major prohibition
against American vessels carrying
war supplies directly to belligerent
ports, but Senator La Toilette. Pro-
greSsive, of Wisconsin, one of the
Senates so-called non-intervention
bloc, said the two issues ought to be
Joined If Congress was to pass on
them.
In any event. Senator La Toilette
told reporters, there was certain to
be full discussion of the moves al
ready made by the administration
He was especially critical of the
disclosure by Secretary Knox that
the Navy was conveying ships of
other nations carrying war ma
terialS
Says Roosevelt Orders War.
According to the Presidents own
definition of conveys" Senator La
Toilette declared, he has ordered
the American Navy into a shooting
war. He has taken this drastic &C
ton without the approval or consent
of Congress. which under the Con-
stitution, has sole power to declare
war"
Senator La Toilette claimed that
the administration had promised
there would be no conveying and
said this pledge had now been
broken. Senator Van Nuys, Demo-
crat, of Indiana took the same view
Senator Van NuyS who supported
repeal of the Neutrality Acts arms
embargo in 1899 and voted for the
lend bill, told reporters he
was absolutely opposed to convoys"
because he believed they would lead
to this country's involvement in
war.
But Senator George, Democrat
of Georgia, a supporter of the ad-
ministration's foreign policies, said
he could see no objection to the
Nays conveying war supplies with
in American waters Any attempt
to extend this protection of shipping
into belligerent areas. he added,
would require revision or repeal of
the Neutrality Act.
Doubts Congress- Powers.
Agreeing TO some extent with
this view, Senator Burton, Repub-
lican, of Ohio, said he doubted that
Congress could interfere with what
he regarded as the Presidents
right. as commander in chief of the
armed forces, TO order conveys. He
made it clear, however, that he was
not indorsing the course that had
been followed.
Representative Dirksen. Repub-
lican of Illinois. frequent critic of
the administration, appealed to the
House yesterday for unified support
of President Roosevelt's foreign
policy
The President, Mr.. Dirksen said in
n speech, has announced a policy
of patrolling and clearing the waters
which are deemed necessary to our
defense and for the maintenance of
freedom of the seas" and to dis
avow or oppose that policy now
could only weaken the Presidents
position, impair our defense and i'm
peril the Nation
Moratorium on Hate.
He called for a moratorium on
hate; for "fsir, candid and tenn
perate criticism of every mistake
which hinders national defense:
for commentator for the President
and the Secretary of State in their
cautious and delicate handling of
the problem of the Pacific; for the
necessary funds, supplies and au-
fhor'ity TO make effective the policy
of aid to Britain, and for abandon
ment of partisanship in efforts to
keep the United States out of war"
Peace by agreement seems re-
mote" Mr.. Dirksen said in a discus
sion of what lies ahead for the
world. Exhaustion will come TO
the embattled nations, but nobody
knows when 8 8 There remains,
therefore, continuation of armed
effort and the ultimate defeat of
one party to the conflict
Want No A. E. F.
Axis defeat, he asserted, can be
accomplished either by throwing the
massed productive might of the
Nation into the balance or by I'M
dertaking "the experience of 1917
and sending our manpower"
The American people, he con-