MUCH-NEEDED ACTION

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 13, 15 July 1939, Page 9

MUCH-NEEDED ACTION

CAUSE OF PEACE

STATEMENT TO CONGRESS

MR. CORDELL HULL

GOVERNMENT'S NEUTRALITY

PROGRAMME

(By TelegKipU*—Pregs Assocl4tJpn<*-CopyrJgt)t,) (Received July 15, 10.10 ajn.) WASHINGTON, July 14. In a terse lQo*word message Presi. dent Roosevelt forwarded to Congress a statement by the Secretary of State, Mr, Cordell Hull, entitled "Peace and Neutrality," The President declared that tile statement has his full approval, and said'he trusted that it would receive the earnest attention of Congress. "It has been abundantly clear to me for some time," he added, "thatfor the cause of peace and in the interest of American neutrality and security, it is highly advisable that Congress this session should take certain much'needed action in the light of present world conditions. I can sec no reason to change that opinion." j Mr, Hull's statement was as fol-! iows:— "In the present situation of danger a peaceful nation like ours cannot complacently close its eyes and ears in formulating a peace and neutrality policy as though abnormal and critical conditions did not exist. . . . Thii questien should, in my judgment, receive, full and careful consideration and be acted upon by this Government without unnecessary and undue delay, . . . Those who urge the retention of the present embargo continue to advance the view that it will keep the United States out of war, thereby mis« leading the American people to rely upon a falsa and illogical delusion ns a means of keeping them out of war." Mr, Mull insisted that it was ih logical that while trade in arms* am» munition, and implements of war is banned at present with belligerents, trade in equally essential war materials can continue. The Secretary then repeated the sjx'point neutrality programme which the Government recommends:— 1. Prohibition of American ships from entering combat areas. 2. Restriction of travel by Americans in combat zones. 3. Transfer of title to foreign purchasers for goods exported from the United States to belligerents. 4. Continuation of the forbiddance cf loans and credits to warring nations. 5. Regulation of solicitation of funds for belligerents in the United States. 6. Continuation of the Munitions Control Board and the system Of licensing trade in arms pnd munitions, IMPROVEMENT ON PRESENT £.CT. "There has thus been offered as. a substitute for the present Act," he gajd, "a f@x broader and more efficient set of provisions which in no conoeivable sense could breed trouble, but which to a far greater extent than the present Act would both aid in making less likely a general war and, while seeping strictly within the limits of n§u* trality, would reduce as far as possible the risk of this nation being drawn into war if war comes/1 Mr, Hujl then appealed for qq-, operation and collaboration between the executive and the legislative branches of the Government on matters of foreign policy, and stressed that the only way in which the United States couM prevent involvement in war was by preventing the outbreak of war. We then denied that the Adminstratipn'g programme jiiinp a t aiding q? injuring particular foreign countries, and asked for repeal pf the arms embargo because it "plays into the hands of thqge nations which have taken the lead in building up their fighting power." Mr. Hull concluded by saying that the small countries are. particularly dependent upon nations like the United States which can produce armaments"Our refusal to make it possible lor tfcem to obtain such means of necessary self*defence in time of grave em§r* geney," he said, "would contribute solely towards making more helpless the law-abiding and peace-devoted people,? of the world." A WRONG IMPRESSION. "Th§ present embargo encourages a. j general state of war both in Europe j and in Asia. ... Its results are direct* ly prejudicial to the highest interests and the peace and security of the United States, , , , I must gleg referto the impression which has been sedulously created to the effect that the sale of arms, munitions, and im* pigments of war by the United States is immoral, and that on this ground it should be suppressed in time of war, As a matter of fact, almost all sales of arms and ammunitions made in re» cent years by our nationals have been made to Governments whose policies have been dedicated to the maintenance of peace but who have felt the neees. sity for creating or augmenting their means of national self-defence and thereby protecting otherwise helpless] men, women, and children in the. event \ Uiat other Powers resort to war."