ARMS EXPORT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 1 July 1939, Page 7

ARMS EXPORT

EMBARGO REINSTATED IN AMERICAN ACT VOTE GOES AGAINST GOVERNMENT CRUX OF THE NEUTRALITY ISSUE. HOPES OF REVERSING DECISION. By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright. WASHINGTON, June 30. The Adininistration in 11n' House of liepresentatives tonight lost by two voles the first important battle on the revision of the Neutrality Act. 'Fhe well-disciplined Republican organisation forced Hie reinstatement of a modified arms embargo in Hie [Room Bill. An amendment by Mr Vorys (Republican, Ohio), which was approved, would, however, permit the sale ol aeroplanes to combatants, and would ban only lethal weapons. The Democratic leaders are certain that they can reverse the decision when the Bill comes up for its third reading tomorrow. The voting was 159 votes to 157. After a session of 13 hours the House adjourned at midnight. The only other important changes made in the measure would give Con gress as well as the President the authority to declare that a state of war exists and would eliminate the section permitting the President to prevent American ships entering cpmbat zones. The embargo question is the crux of the neutrality issue. Mr Roosevelt and the State Department consider the automatic embargo provided under the present law impracticable, and they want the President to have a free hand in handling the international situation. The Bloom Bill retains the body of the present neutrality law, but replaces the embargo clause with one permitting the export of all commodities, arms included, on the cash-and-carry basis to all belligerents. The Opposition contended throughout the debate today that this would tend to make the law un-neutral.

Mr Vorys’ amendment »is similar to the present embargo, except that it excludes “arms and amunition,” and not “arms, ammunition and implements of war.” The latter proved difficult to define. Mr Vorys claimed that arms and ammunition covered lethal weapons and provided the sort of embargo' the American people thought they now had. Mr Hamilton Fish urged the acceptance of the amendment as a compromise. As soon as it was carried the Democrat leaders began rounding up absentee members, confident that they can reverse the vote. Mr Fish said the amendment would exempt from the embargo everything except lethal weapons. He mentioned specifically oil, trucks and aeroplanes. Mr James Shanley (Democrat) protested that no man living could draw the line between arms and materials which might be construed as munitions. Questioning the existence of any in-, ternational law, the House by 195 votes to 68 voted out a proposal to repeal the entire Neutrality Act .and “throw the United States back on international law.” An amendment by Mr Harold Cooley prohibiting Americans from travelling on neutral ships carrying munitions in war-time was voted out by 136 to 32. Mr Cooley said his proposal would prevent “another Lusitania incident.” The House also voted out by 65 votes to 47 an attempt «to place an arms embargo on any nation defaulting in its Great War debts. The House approved a provision imposing a 90-day limit on the extension of the short-term credits to foreign nations named in a Presidential proclamation finding that a state of war exists.