SPEEDY REVISION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24735, 11 October 1941, Page 9

SPEEDY REVISION

THE NEUTRALITY ACT PRESIDENT’S SUGGESTION "ESSENTIAL TO DEFENCE" (Rec. 7 p.m.) WASHINGTON, Oct. 9. The speedy revision of the Neutrality Act to permit the arming of American merchantmen was urged by President Roosevelt in a message to Congress “ The Government should not be handicapped in carrying out the clearlyannounced policy of Congrsss and the people,” he said. “ The revisions I suggest do not call for a declaration ox war any more than the Lend and Lease Act. This is a matter essenti.il to the defence of American rights. In the Neutrality Act are various crippling provisions, and their repeal or modification will not leave the United States any less neutral, but will make it possible to defend the Americas far more successfully and give aid far more effectively against tremendous forces marching towards the conquest of the world. The Neutrality Act established certain areas as combat zones into which American ships could not proceed. We know now that Hitler does not recognise the limitation of any combat zone in any part of the seven seas. Our ships are sailing the seas on missions of defence for the United States, and it is not just that the crews should be denied the means of defending their lives and their ships. The arming of our ships is a matter of immediate necessity and extreme urgency.. It is not more important than some of the other crippling provisions of the present Act, but anxiety for the safety of our crews and almost priceless goods leads me to recommend tc you with all speed to strike prohibition against the arming of ships from the Statute Book.

‘‘There are other phases of the Neutrality Act,” Mr Roosevelt stated, “the correction of which I hope Congress will give earnest and early attention. It is essential for the proper defence of our country that we cease giving the definite assistance we are now giving to aggressors. In effect, we are inviting their control of the seas by keeping our ships out of the ports of our friends, and it is time for this country to stop playing into Hitler's hands and to unshackle our own. Vital goods authorised by Congress are being delivered, yet many ai'e being sunk, and as we approach full production, requiring more ships, it will become increasingly necessary to deliver American goods under the American flag. We cannot and should not depend on the strained resources of the exiled Governments of Norway and Holland to deliver our goods, nor should we be forced to masquerade American-owned ships behind the flags of our sister republics. “I cannot impress too strongly upon Congress the seriousness of the military situation that confronts all tuitions combating Hitler, who is now determined to expend all his resources and all his mechanical force and man-power to crush both Russia and Britain. He knows he is racing against time. 'He has heard the rumblings of revolt among tho enslaved peoples, in-' eluding Germans and Italians. He fears the mounting force of American aid, and he knows that the days in which he may achieve total victory are numbered.

“ Therefore, it is our duty' as never before to extend more and more assistance and ever more swiftly to Britain and Russia and all peoples fighting: slavery. We must do this without fear or favour. The ultimate fate of the western hemisphere lies in the balance. Hitler has offered a challenge which we Americans cannot and will not tolerate. We will not let Hitler prescribe the waters of the world over which our ships may travel; the American flag is not going to be driven from the seas, and we cannot permit the affirmative defence of our rights to be annulled and diluted by sections of the Neutrality Act which have no realism in the light of the unscrupulous ambition of madmen, We intend to maintain a policy of protecting the freedom of the seas against the domination of any foreign Power.”