U.S. NEUTRALITY

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIX, Issue 193, 17 July 1939, Page 8

U.S. NEUTRALITY

FACTORS FOR PEACE. ADMINISTRATION’S POLICY. (United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) WASHING! ON, July 14. President Roosevelt, in a terse 100 word message, today, forwarded a statement by Air Cordell Hull (Secretary of State), entitled “Peace au'i Neutrality,” to Congress. Ihe l*?" sident declared the statement had his lull approval, and trusted it would receive the earnest attention of Congress. “It has been abundantly cleat to me for some time that, for the cause of peace and in the interest of American neutralitv and security, it ] s highlv advisable that Congress tins session should take certain tnuc needed action. In the light ol pic scut world conditions, I see no reason to change that opinion, said Presidenl Roosevelt.

Mr Hull's statement read: ‘‘la the present situation of dangu a peaceful nation like ours can no complacentlv close its eyes and ears in formulating a peace and nciltralitj policy as though abnormal and cntic.il conditions did not exist. Tins l l"Y* tion should, in my judgment, reeeiv full and careful consideration, and M acted upon by this Government wit flout unnecessary and undue delajThose who urge the retention of tlm present embargo continue to advance the view that it will keep the United States out of war, thereby misleading the American people to rely upon false and illogical delusion as a means of keeping out of war. “The present embargo encourages a general state of war, both in Europe and Asia. Its results are directly piejudicial to the highest interest and peace and security of the United States. ARMS TR ANS ACTIONS.

“T must also refer to the impression sedulously created to the effect that the sale of arms, munitions, and implements of war bv the United States is immoral, and that on this ground it should be suppressed in time ol 'yat\, ? ”V 1 l 1 1« ter of fact, almost all sales of aims and ammunition made in recent joais hv our nationals have been made to Governments whose policies have been dedicated to the maintenance ot peace,: but who have felt the necessity ol creating or augmenting their means ot national self-defence, thereby protecting otherwise helpless men, women anil children in the event of other Powers resorting to war.” . . Afr Hull insisted it was illogical that, while trade in arms, ammunition and implements of war is banned at present with belligerents, trade m equally essential war materials can continue. He repeated the six-poiut neutralitv programme which the Government recommends :

(1) The prohibition of American ships from entering combat areas. (2) Restriction of travel by Americans in combat zones. (3) 'The transfer of title to foreign purchasers for goods exported iroin the United States to belligerents. (4) Continuation of the forbidding of loans and credits to warring nations. (5) Regulation of the solicitation of funds for belligerents in the United States. (G) Continuation of the Munitions Control Board and the system ot licensing the trade in arms and munitions.

EFFECTIVE PLAN. “There Ims thus been offered as a substitute for the present Act a tar broader and more effective set of provisions which, in no conceivable 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 keeping strictly within the limit of neutrality, would reduce as far as possible the risk of this nation being drawn into ivar if war comes,” said the Secietaiy of State. Air Hull appealed for cn-opcration nnd collaboration between the executive and legislative brandies of the Government on matters of foreign poliev, and stressed that the only way in which the United States will prevent involvement in war is by preventing the outbreak of it. He denied that the Administration’s programme aims at aiding or injuring particular foreign countries, and asked for a repeal of the arms embargo, because it “plays into the hands of those nations which have taken the lead in building up their fighting power. ’ Air Hull concluded: “Small countries arc particularlv dependent upon nations like the United States which can produce armaments. Our refusal to make it possible for them to obtain such means of necessary self-defence in time of a grave emergency would contribute solely towards making more helpless the law-abiding and peacedevoted peoples of the world.”