Evening star., 1941-05-14
Ships
Continued From First Page)

that the measure has been ap-
proved by the Secretary of State
and other departments of the Gov
eminent. The President, he said,
has declared the bill essential not
only to American commerce but to
American defense.
Approve Several Provisions.
After Senator Bailey had COM
pleted his explanation of the bill
the Senate quickly approved with
out record votes several provisions
added to the measure in committee.
One is intended to bring within
the terms of the bill any foreign
ships in ports of the Philippines and
the Panama Canal Zone.
Another provides that foreign
ships owned by the governments Of
the countries from which they came,
could be taken over only by pur-
chase.
The Senate also adopted without
debate an amendment by Senator
George, Democrat, of Georgia, pro-
viding that if ship is in litigation
under admiralty proceedings when
taken over, the purchase price would
be paid into the registry of the court
to be available to claimants.
Senator Vandenberg, who is
strongly opposed to allowing this
Government to seize German and
Italian ships tied up in American
ports and turn them over to the
British, asked Senator Bailey what
he thought about the morality" oi
such procedure and whether il
would not be provocative"
Senator Bailey admitted that tc
seize the ships might be provoca-
tive act, but that international Law
is not fixed, but is constantly
amended. particularly at times ot
emergency and during war. He
said there had been precedents for
the pending bill in the past, re-
ferring particularly to the seizure OF
German vessels tied up in italian
ports by the italian government be-
fore that country entered the World
War.
Senator Bailey admitted he had
been disturbed over the suggestion
that the ships Of one belligerent
nation might be turned over to
another belligerent.
Instinct for Justice.
, THE instinct of justice runs
throughout the world" he declared.
TT is the basis of world law and of
international law. 1t produces an
unwritten moral law. You may defy
1t, but you will inevitably pay the
penalty for so doing. I believe that
the economic disaster which over
took this country not many years
; ago due to the fact that the people,
high and low, lost all regard for the
moral law"
Senator Bailey said the trouble
today lay in the fact that it was i'm
possible to deal with Nazi Germany
and with Hitler. because they had
= lost all idea of restraint" Hitler" +"
he said. can give us no assurance
because there is no assurance in
/. him"
"1 suspect" continued Senator
- Bailey, that Hess fed from Ger
many to Scotland because he knew
he could not trust Hitler, because
she knew he was dealing with man
with no moral restraints. Hitler is
"a man who can do things, with a
sgreat army back of him. But none
Z OF us can have faith in anything he
says.
{ "I wish my country, for sake of
Its own nationals, to adhere to the
great standards and guide posts es-
tablished among men"
Wheeler Joins Debate.
Senator Wheeler of Montana. one
. of the leading isolationists, agree
ing with Senator Bailey that there
had been moral letdown in this
country and in the rest of the world
after the World War, said:
II don't believe you can send mil
lions of men to fight and to violate
the law against murder without
bringing about a moral letdown. If
We become involved in this war to-
day, we will have another moral
letdown we will not recover from
for a long time"
Senator Bailey replied that under
: certain conditions it might become
necessary to fight. and to give his
!: own life and that of his son.
, Immediately Senator Wheeler in
sisted that no one had the right to
"give the life of his son." that a