U.S. RESOLUTION ON NEUTRALITY

Southland Times, Issue 23140, 5 March 1937, Page 7

U.S. RESOLUTION ON NEUTRALITY

SENATOR BORAH FAILS WITH AMENDMENT

(Received March 4, 7.25 p.m.) WASHINGTON, March 3. The Senate passed by 63 votes to 6 the Pittman Permanent Neutrality resolution. Several amendments were rejected, including one by Senator W. E. Borah (Republican) to make the “cash and carry” provisions discretionary instead of mandatory. . _ Senator Johnson led the opposition, insisting that the measure would establish a “scuttle and run” policy which would be worthless to keep America out of war. The resolution will not go before the House of Representatives.

The Foreign Relations Committee of the Senate on February 20 recommended the Senate to adopt the Pittman Permanent Neutrality resolution providing an embargo on arms and munitions as soon as the President proclaims war or civil war anywhere in the world, and the prohibition of loans to all belligerents. American vessels are to be prohibited from carrying goods likely to involve the United States in the conflict, restrictions are to be placed on the use of American ports by belligerent submarines and armed merchantmen at the discretion of the President and it will be unlawful for United States citizens to travel on vessels or aircraft belonging to belligerents. American ships will be forbidden to carry armaments of any kind beyond the small arms the President might authorize officers to carry for disciplinary purposes. In an earlier debate Senator Borah objected to its so-called "cash and carry" provisions, which forbid American vessels in time of war to carry commodities under an embargo, but permit belligerents to buy in the' United States on a cash basis and to carry their purchases in their own ships. Senator Borah Insisted that this would make the United States the ally of the nation which has the greatest navy—which was Britain—and pictured American factories and forts suffering bombardment by the aircraft of the belligerent nation denied commodition because of the superior strength of its enemy’s navy. The senator pointed out that in the case of a war between Russia and Japan the Japanese would have access to American shores and the Soviet would not.