U.S. NEUTRALITY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 153, 1 July 1939, Page 9

U.S. NEUTRALITY.

FIGHT IN CONGRESS. First Important Battle Lost By Government. MAY BE REVERSED LATER. United Press Association.—Copyright. WASHINGTON", June 30. The Administration in the House of Representatives last night lost by two votes the first important battle on the revision of the Neutrality Act. The well-disciplined Republican organisation forced the reinstatement of a modified arms embargo in the Bloom Bill.

The amendment, by Mr. John M. \ ory, an Ohio Republican, which was approved, would, however, permit the sale of aeroplanes to combatants. It would ban only lethal weapons. The voting was 159 to 1-37. The Democratic leaders are certain they can reverse the decision when the bill comes up for the third reading today. AftO' a session of 13 hours the House adjourned at midnight. The only other important changes made in the measure would give Congress as well as the President authority to declare that a state of war exists and would eliminate the section permitting the President to prevent American ships from entering combat zones.

State Department View. The embargo question is the crux of the neutrality issue. Mr. Roosevelt and the State Department consider that, automatic embargo provided under the present law is impracticable, and want the President to have a free hand in handling the international situation. The Bloom Bill retains the body of the present neutrality law, but replaces the embargo clause with one permitting the export of all commodities, arms included, on a cash and carry basis to all belligerents. The Opposition contended throughout the debate that this would tend to make the law unneutral. Mr. Vory's amendment is similar to the present embargo, except that it excludes "arms and ammunition" and not "arms, ammunition and implements of war." The latter have proved difficult to define. Mr. Vory claimed that arms and ammunition covered lethal weapons and provided the sort of embargo the American people thought they now had. Mr. Hamilton Fish (Republican) urged the acceptance of the amendment as a compromise. As soon as it was carried the Democrat leaders began rounding up absentee members. They are confident they can reverse the vote. All But Lethal Weapons. Mr. Fish said the amendment would exempt from the embargo everything except lethal weapons. He mentioned specifically oil, trucks and aeroplanes.

Mr. James Shanlev (Democrat) protested that no man living could draw a line between arms and materials which might be construed as munitions.

Questioning trie existence of any international law, the House, by 15K5 votes to 68, defeated a proposal to repeal the entire Neutrality Act and "throw the L'nited States back on international law."

An amendment bv Harold D. Coolev (Democrat), prohibiting Americans from travelling in neutral ships carrying munitions in wartime, was defeated by 136 votes to 32.

Mr. Cooley said his proposal would prevent "another Lusitania incident."

Also defeated by 65 votes to 47 was an attempt to place an arms embargo on any nation in default of its Great War debts.

• The House approved a provision imposing a 90-day limit on the extension of short term credits to foreign nations named in the Presidential proclamation finding that a state of war exists.