KEEPING WAR AWAY

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 3, 28 September 1939, Page 9

KEEPING WAR AWAY

Sweeping Pan-American Programme

PROPOSAL BY U.S.A.

Safety Zone For Shipping

By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. (Received September 27. 11.5 p.m.)

PANAMA CITY, Sept. 27

The United States Assistant Secretary of State, Mr. Sumner Welks, speaking at the Pan-American conference, proposed a sweeping programme designed to keep away the European war from the Americas. It chiefly provides for: —

(1) A safety zone for merchant shipping, the United States to bear the chief burden of patrolling it and preventing searches, seizures and raiding. (2) The banning of belligerent submarines from American ports. (3) A joint representation to the belligerents setting forth the Americas’ neutrality declarations. (4) The stabilization of monetary and commercial relationship between the Americas. (5) The preservation of liberal trade policies. (6) The suppression of subversive

neutrality-violating activities.

Mr. Welles stated plainly that the United States Navy would co-operate in patrolling the waters adjacent to the Americas. It is understood that the waters ot Canada and of the colonies and possessions of the belligerents will bo excepted from the safety zone.

U.S. SHIPPING BAN

Effect On Tourist Trade

(Received September 27, 10.30 p.m.) NEW YORK, September 26.

Mr. Tom Girdler, president of the Republic Steel Corporation, urged the repeal of the arms embargo in order to keep the United States out of war. He announced that his company was spending 3,000,000 dollars on plant expansion. The foreign trade section of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce passed a resolution against the amendment of the Neutrality Act banning American ships from belligerent ports regardless of the actual hazards, chiefly the .ports of Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Canada,

The Australian Associated Press was told that the immediate effect of such au amendment would be the cessation of the valuable tourist traffic which otherwise might be expanded because of the shutting off of Europe. The San Francisco chamber passed a similar resolution. The committee of the American Legion advocated that the United States stay out of the war and demands that the session of Congress continue throughout the crisis. It left to Congress the decision regarding the repeal of the arms embargo, not. taking a stand on it.

President Roosevelt, at a Press conference, said the efforts of foreign purchasers to buy stocks of war materials in the United States had impeded the Government’s effort to acquire reserve supplies of strategic materials. President Roosevelt intimated that he would advise Americans not to sell to foreigners crude rubber, manganese, ferro-manganese, pig tin, metallurgical chro Dio, etc., all of which are not produced in the United States. AMERICAN FLEEET Substantial Detachment For Hawaiian Waters WASHINGTON, September 26. It is authoritatively stated that the Navy Department has decided to semi a substantial detachment of the fleet to Hawaiian waters. The centralization of the fleet at San Pedro has been criticized in some naval quarters.