NEUTRALITY LAW

Taranaki Daily News, 30 September 1939, Page 9

NEUTRALITY LAW

By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright.

PROPOSED AMENDMENT FIRST STAGE PASSED "COME AND GET IT PLAN" 5AFETY ZONE SCHEME

Rec. 5.5 p.m. Washington, Sept. 28. The Neutrality Bill was reported [favourably by the Senate CommitJ tee. The debate is expected to start on Monday. The Bill was approved by 16 votes to seven after a threehour discussion. It involves the "corne and get it" plan and also curtails United States shipping, except by special exemption, and United States airlines operating in belligerent territories in the western hemisphere. Under the Neutrality Bill the exemption from Pacific travel applies only to aeroplanes. United States merchantmen will not be permitted to continue voyages to New Zealand, Austvalia or the French possessions in the Pacific. Restrictions are also lifted on American vessels operating in the western hemisphere carrying mails, passengers and personal baggage. Credit for Three Months. Regarding credits, any nation defaulting for three months will be denied additional credits. thus amending the original provision tinder which the President had discretionary powers to grant extensions. The New York Tlmes' Washington correspondent states that factors infiuencing the United States in backing Latin Americas' 300 miles sea zone plan include a desire to protect the new world from surprise air attacks. Such attacks cannot be expected at present, but officials feel that arrangements should be made for meeting a possible contingency. Another factor is a desire to assure that coastwise neutral shipping will not be attacked by belligerent sea raiders. Excluding gunboats, the South Americas have 70 war craft available for patrolling 8500 miles of Atlantic and 5300 miles of Pacific sea coast. It is likely that the United States will eventually be required to supply aircraft and other aid for the neutrality patrol. Mexican deputies approved and sent to the Senate President Cardena's Neutrality Bill, which will forbid -the entrance to Mexican ports and territorial waters of all belligerent submarines, battleships and aircraft-carriers. The deputies are also considering a proposa1 to dissolve the Communist organisation. Mr. Hamilton, chairman of the Republican national committee, disagreed with President Roosevelt's suggestion for the adjournment of partisanship during the war crisis. He said the very fact that domestic problems had increased proved the necessity for a balance to the wheel in politics. However, there should be no partisanship in the matter of neutrality revision.