Evening star., 1941-10-03

BaSing their fight on disclos-
ures OF the Senate Munitions
Committee, peace bloc in Con-
oress put through neutrality la,U
in 1885. Statute has been amend
ed SeDeral times, most recently in
1889. Uhen arms embargo 1UaS
REMOVED in taUor OF caSh-and-
carry provision. Pending opin-
ion runs from outright repeal to
remoUal OF prohibition against
arming merchant ships.
President Roosevelt has sum-
moned a bipartisan conference of
Senate leaders at the White House
Tuesday for consideration of neu-
trality law revision, he told a press
conference today.
The President also made it clear
today that he does not intend to at
tempt the arming OF American mer-
chant ships without specific authori-
zation by Congress. Already on rec
ord as believing this step to be
necessary for maintenance of our
ocean supply lines, the Chief Execu-
tive said he considered the neutral
ity law too specific in its prohibition
to make it right for him to take
such action without congressional
approval.
At the same time. he said he had
given no consideration to the idea
Of revising our combat zones in such
way as to permit greater freedom of
movement by American shipping.
A proposal that the President re-
woke his own proclamations of bel
ligerent zones was made at the Capt.
tol yesterday by Senator Pepper
Democrat, of Florida, but the Chief
Executive said he had never heard
Of such plan.
Calling Leaders Of Both Parties.
Regarding the conference of Tues
day, the President said he was call
ing Senate leaders of both parties,
and that Chairman Bloom of the
House Foreign Affairs Committee
probably would be invited to sit in as
an observer. Presumably the Senate
group will include Vice President
Wallace, Senate Majority Leader
Barkley, Foreign Relations Chair
man Connally and Republican Lead
ers McNary and Austin.
Pressed for an answer On whether
he may recommend outright repeal
of the neutrality law. the President
assured the press conference that
there will be an effort made to do
something to the statute, but that
the nature of the recommended
changes will not be determined until
Tuesday.
Although he warned reporters not
to draw conclusions from his re-
marks, Mr.. Roosevelt discussed al
some length the problem of determ-
ing exactly what Is danger zone
In the face of his warning and his
denial OF past consideration of re-
vising present combat areas, how
ever, it was difficult to appraise the
significance of the remarks.
No Precise Definitions.
Pointing out that the neutrality
law sets up no precise definitions
of what constitutes a danger zone
Mr.. Roosevelt cited Hypothetical
cases where there might be 10 ships
out of 500 sunk in certain area
as compared with one ship out of 50t
in another area. 1t Is still up Il
individual determination, he went
on, to say whether either or both
of these might be considered danger
zones.
AS an illustration of difference:
of opinion, he recalled that certain
merchant ship crews had demanded
war bonus for voyage to the
West Indies. They contended, he
explained, that this was a danger
area, although there have been nc
sinkings there.
In a sense, he went on. the prob.
lem comes back to the old question
of effectiveness of blockade. Ths
comparable difficulty of determining
this matter was illustrated during
the Civil War when the North pro-
claimed blockade against thu
South, but it's effectiveness was chal'
lenged by England. The British
position at that time was based or
the fact that some ships made theil
way through the Northern blockade
vessels, while the Washington gov
ernment contended the number wa!
so small that effectiveness Of theil
barrier was established.
Controversy Stirred.
Meanwhile, the suggestion by Sen
ator Pepper that Mr.. Roosevelt SCI
aside most provisions of the Neu'
trality Law by executive ordel
stirred Capitol Hill controversy, ane
Senator Taft, Republican, of Ohit
declared that such action woule
amount to an effort to involve th'
Nation in war without the consent
of Congress.
Senator Pepper, a member of the
Foreign Relations Committee anc
advocate of more active aid tt
Great Britain and Russia. told the
! (See NEUTRALITY, Page A-18)