U.S.A. NEUTRALITY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 30 November 1938, Page 5

U.S.A. NEUTRALITY

FAR-REACHING CHANGE PROPOSED EMBARGO ON AGGRESSOR NATIONS. POWERFUL WEAPON IN HANDS OF PRESIDENT. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. .WASHINGTON, November 29. A plan to amend the United States of America’s Neutrality Act, enabling the President to apply an embargo to any nation which he deems an aggressor is being prepared for presentation to President Roosevelt. The purpose of the amendment is to transform the law into one of the most powerful diplomatic weapons in existence. It is understood that Canada would be included in the list of American nations to which the Act does not now apply.' By permitting the President to distinguish between the aggressor and the defender nation, whereas the Act at present makes the application of an embargo against both belligerents obligatory, the United States of America would be in a position to exert pressure on Governments that need supplies from America in order to conduct a war. The Act would thus be an instrument for backing up American foreign policy. President Roosevelt and his ActingSecretary of State, Mr Sumner Welles, denied that the amendments were virtually completed, but it is pointed out that this does not obviate the possibility that the plans are at present under consideration without having crystallised into specific recommendations.