PROMOTING U.S. SECURITY

Southland Times, Issue 23953, 20 October 1939, Page 7

PROMOTING U.S. SECURITY

SUBMARINES BARRED FROM WATERS

PROCLAMATION ISSUED BY MR ROOSEVELT (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright) (Received October 19, 9.30 p.m.) WASHINGTON, October 18. The President of the United States (Mr Franklin D. Roosevelt) has issued a proclamation stating that American ports and territorial waters are *barred to belligerent submarines which . can enter only in the event of force majeure such as a storm. Eighteen Latin American Governments are expected to issue similar proclamations, the exceptions being Argentina and Uruguay, who are understood to feel that submarines should be treated identically with other warcraft. Mr ■ Roosevelt’s action is applied only to the three-mile limit, not the 300-mile safety zone, as the former is considered sufficient because of the difficulty of fuelling. Mr Roosevelt exempted the Panama Canal zone. Evidently his theory was that it is a water-way kept open for all nations. He named the belligerents as France, Germany, the United Kingdom, India, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and Poland. Mr Roosevelt said that he acted under Section Eight of the Neutrality Act and added that it would “serve to maintain peace, to protect commercial interests, and to promote the security of the United States.” DEBATE IN SENATE Senator Tom Connally (Democrat) in the Senate debate announced that 13 Democratic members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, including the drafters of the Neutrality Bill, had today agreed in principle to his proposal to allow American vessels to carry all goods except arms to belligerents in South America, along the Pacific oceans, China, the Arabian seas and the Bay of Bengal. This relaxation of the shipping restrictions is expected to lessen the opposition to the Bill and to hasten the vote. Opening the debate, Senator R. D. Holt (Democrat), a critic of Mr Roosevelt’s administration, declared: “It. is no use trying to fool the people. The only reason we are in session is to help Britain and France to beat Germany. The

Roosevelt Administration was never neutral, and never will be neutral. We are getting the people ready for war.” Senator Holt agreed that in the event of the submarine successes continuing, Congress might be asked to permit direct shipments to Britain and France. There are increasing signs that the general debate on the Neutrality Bill in the Senate is drawing to a close. The Administration leaders are so certain this is so that they have permitted the Senate to recess an hour earlier than usual. Both sides have predicted that the neutrality resolution will reach the amendment stage at least early next week.

INDUSTRIAL PROBLEMS TO BE DISCUSSED (British Official Wireless) (Received October 19, 6.30 p.m.) RUGBY, October 18. The Ministry of Labour and National Services announced that representatives of the British Employers’ Confederation and the Trades Union Congress General Council met today to consider the establishment of machinery for a joint discussion on problems which confront the • Government and industry in wartime.

It was agreed, subject on the part of the T.U.C. to confirmation by the General Council, to advise on all matters in which employers and workers have a common interest, it being understood that the council would be purely advisory and would not invade the jurisdiction of organizations in the respective industries.