NEUTRALITY LAW

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25161, 17 April 1947, Page 7

NEUTRALITY LAW

Truman Seeks Changes

MESSAGE TO CONGRESS (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 10 p.m.) WASHINGTON, April 15. Drastic changes in the neutrality law to permit the President to ban the shipment of war materials to unfriendly nations was sought by President Truman in a message to Congress to-day. The law now stipulates equal treatment to all nations in granting arms export licences except where treaties were violated. Mr Truman said the United States Government was now in the intolerable position of being bound by its own legislation to give aid and support “to any power which might later attack us.” The new legislation must give the Government discretion in granting or rejecting applications for export or import licences for arms, ammunition, and related items. “The impartiality of the provision in the Neutrality Act of 1939 is no longer consistent with the international commitments of the United States. We have committed ourselves to international co-operation through the United Nations. If this participation is to be fully effective, the Government must have control over the traffic in weapons which will permit us to act in accordance with our position in the United Nations and will be adaptable to changes in tfce international situation.”