NEW AMERICAN ARMS POLICY

Southland Times, Issue 23767, 15 March 1939, Page 5

NEW AMERICAN ARMS POLICY

FULL SUPPLIES FOR NEIGHBOURS WARSHIPS, MUNITIONS AND “SECRETS” CHANCE FOR SOUTHERN REPUBLICS (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright) (Received March 14, 7.10 p.m.) WASHINGTON, March 13. The foreign policy of the United States entered a new phase of controversy today when Senator Key Pittman, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, with the approval of the State Department introduced a resolution permitting the supply of warships, arms, munitions and all necessary secrets about their manufacture and operation to the South American republics. The broad terms of Senator Pittman’s resolution surprised even his closest associates. It had not been suggested before that materials involving secret manufacture or processes would be supplied to foreign Governments. The resolution also left open the question of payment, and merely specified that “no transaction herein shall

result in expense to the United States.” The United States would authorize supplies merely with the understanding that at an unspecified date the purchasers would reimburse the United States. Mr Sol Bloom (Democrat), introducing a similar resolution in the House of Representatives, said it would enable the South American countries to be “better prepared to resist attack from the armed forces of non-American Powers.” The proposal is the broadest laid before the Congress since the Great War. The resolution leaves the question of sales directly to the President’s discretion. It opens up a proposition under which the President would be able to sell unlimited arms from the Government arsenals to countries with a total population exceeding 100,009,000. The resolution binds the purchasers not to sell the arms, except to other South American republics. FAVOURABLE COMMENT Regarded as virtually tantamount to underwriting the defences of South America, Senator Pittman’s plan has so far aroused only favourable comment, although mild proposals in earlier years involving the sale of old naval craft have fallen through. Mr Roosevelt’s hand is sensed behind the proposal, which is the first indication of the magnitude of the pattern of western hemisphere defence he has planned. The fact that the resolution calls for appropriations to finance the purchases is interpreted to mean that arms will be supplied merely in the expectation that the republics will pay “in due time.”

Early endorsement of the plan by the Assistant-Secretary of State (Mr Sumner Welles) and Senator A. W. Barkley, leader of the Democratic majority, indicates the Administration’s backing. Mr Welles said it would foster the growing spirit of American solidarity / and institute another step in national defence. Another move in South American diplomacy, with particular reference to Panama Canal, is seen in the raising of the American Legation at Panama to the rank of an embassy. Mr William Dawson was today appointed the first Ambassador. HEATED DEBATE A jarring note was provided by a heated debate in the Senate on the trade treaty with Brazil. Senator Hamilton Lewis (Republican) declared that Brazil was a country which “will promise everything and do nothing.” He said Brazil already owed America millions on municipal loans and would use part of the new loans to start repaying her debts to Britain.

Senator R. R. Reynolds (Democrat) commented that the Foreign Minister of Brazil (Senhor Aranha) had given America “the finest dry-cleaning it has ever experienced.” . Senator W. E. Borah (Republican) said there was no difference between the dictators and the democracies when the time came to pay. He caustically referred to the British and French defaults and predicted that more credits would go to default. Senator Reynolds said he had been informed that Brazil was planning a five-year armament programme, spend--70,000,000 dollars in Germany, 20,000,000 dollars in Britain, but only 7,000,000 dollars in the United States.

The Naval Affairs Committee today indicated that it intended to recommend that the Senate should approve more funds for naval bases. The State Department has informed the chairman (Senator D. I. Walsh) that it has no evidence bearing out the charge that Japan has violated her treaties involving the Japanese mandated islands near Guam by fortifying the islands or permitting Germany to do so. The United States has protested again to the Japanese Government against the financial restrictions on trade through the imposition of Japanese currency in North China.