SENATE PASSES NEUTRALITY BILL AMERICAN OPINION DISCUSSION BY HOUSE SECOND GREAT ALLIED VICTORY OF WAR

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 256, 30 October 1939, Page 7

SENATE PASSES NEUTRALITY BILL

AMERICAN OPINION

DISCUSSION BY HOUSE

SECOND GREAT ALLIED VICTORY OF WAR

REPEAL OF ARMS EMBARGO MORE THAN TWO TO ONE MAJORITY POWERS GRANTED TO THE PRESIDENT IBy Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright] Received Oct. 28, 7.30 p.m. WASHINGTON, Oct. 27. The Neutrality Bill was passed by 63 votes to 30, after a final Isolationist amendment, designed to reinstate the embargo provision, had been defeated by 60 votes to 33. The Lower House will discuss the Bill on Monday, and it is expected that it will approve it by a small margin by November 3. The Bill provides as follows . 1. Repeals the arms embargo. 2. Prohibits American merchantmen carrying passengers ami merchandise to belligerents, except to possessions and territories in specified areas in the western hemisphere, the South Atlantic, the Pacific, the Indian Ocean, and other waters not eontinguous to belligerents. 3. Authorises the President to designate other combat areas from which American ships and citizens are to be banned. 4. Requires that all title to interest in goods shipped to belligerents shall be transferred before the goods leave the United States, except materials other than arms transported to outlying territories. Prohibits credits to belligerents. 6. Prohibits Americans from travelling in belligerent ships. 7. Restricts the arming of American merchantmen to small arms necessary for discipline. 8. Prohibits the solicitation of contributions on behalf of belligerents, except for relief of suffering. 9. Exempts from the restrictions American Republics not co-operating with non-American States in the war. in. Prohibits belligerents from using the American flag to escape capture. 11. Authorises the President to regulate the use by foreign submarines and armed merchantmen of Americans ports or territorial waters.

DESIRE TO AID ALLIES BIT ANTI-WAR FEELING HAS HARDENED Received Oct. 29. 7.3 J p.m. WASHINGTON, Oct. 28. I The Senate vote on the Neutrality i 3’ll reflects the majority of United j States opinion, but the desire to aid ■ the Allies should not be interpreted as willingness to be involved in war. On the contrary, the anti-war opinion ‘ has hardened throughout the country. The isolationists concede an unexpected win. but they debated at . length, hoping that cumulative pressure will influence the Lower House. The Whips forecast a majority of 20 to 40 on the embargo issue. which suggests that the isolationists’ tactics are unavailing. Apart from the vote on the repeal issue, the defeat of Senator La Follett’s referendum amendment is regarded as most significant as representing the Senate’s judgment on the feasibility and principle of referring a war declaration directly to the , people. The Lower House Rules Committee i meets on Monday. It is tentatively planned to send a resolution to a conference of both Houses after several hours’ debate. The matter is expected to reach debate on Tuesday, with ratification at the week-end. Commentators stress that the provision compelling belligerents to take ■ title, is not applicable to nations ‘•only nominally belligerent’’ like Aus- I t alia. New Zealand and Canada and South Africa. Reactions are not marked, because { of the test vote’s forecast decision. In , an editorial, the New York Times be- ; lieves that the greatest risk of Ameri- j can involvement lies in a long war; i therefore restoration of the democra- . ties’ right to buy weapons for self-1 defence enables them to end the war swiftly to their own and the United States advantage. The- Herald-Tribune. editorially, , welcomes the Senate’s decision as an important improvement in freeing . American ships to continue trade with non-European ports and exempting their cargo and Canadian border traffic from the cash restrictions but it ' believes the debate has not removed he confusion nor pointed a way . ihrough the problems of neutraliay. , Nevertheless, it restores neutrality to a reasonably sound basis confirmable with international law. The journal . adds: “It is fortunate that the House j ; likely to act quickly, enabling the

measure to be passed before the end of a European quasi truce.” Details of the voting on the measure show that 54 Democrats, eight Republicans and one Independent were in favour. Twelve Democrats, 15 Republicans, two Farm Labour and one Progressive were opposed. Discussion by the Lower House on Monday (not Tuesday as earlier announced) wTll be technical on the amendment of the Bloom Bill.

HOW MEASURES WILL BE DEALT WITH A JOIST CONFERENCE Received Oct. 29. 6.30 pin. WASHINGTON. Oct. 28. I The repeal law is being discussed on Tuesday under a rule to send a Bill [to a joint Senate and House conference. The non-repea lists will be permitted to move an instruction to their conferees to insist on rejection of the Senate's clause removing the embargo, thus allowing representatives to vote separately on the embargo. If the House fails to instruct, it is presumed that the conferees will quickly agree to a version of the Bill substantially identical to the Senates, and the House will approve. At present the Senate's and House s Bills differ widely. The House's Bill was passed during the summer, providing a modified embargo, prohibiting the shipment of arms and munitions, but permitting the export of unarmed but convertible aeroplanes. Separate votes on other sections of the Senate Bill could be achieved similarly in the House of Representa-

Received Oct. 29. 6.30 p.m. LONDON. Oct. 28. While the British and French Press iis rot concealing its pleasure at the | American Senate's repeal of the arms embargo, Berlin newspapers minimise the effect but admit that the Bili will I probably pass the House of Representatives, though this may not be the i equivalent of the American people ! wishing to abandon their policy of neutrality. Authorised German sources brand the Neutrality Bill as favouring I the Allies. The Paris raido announced the decision as the second great Allied vic tcry of the war. The first was the Turkish Pact. .