Wairarapa Times-Age TUESDAY, JULY 4, 1939. NEUTRALITY AND ISOLATION.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 4 July 1939, Page 4

Wairarapa Times-Age TUESDAY, JULY 4, 1939. NEUTRALITY AND ISOLATION.

TN one of a series of battles fought and lost by the Roosevelt Administration in the American House of Representatives it has failed, by a narrow majority, to secure the amendment of the Neutrality Act on the lines it bad planned. At an immediate view this is a victory for the isolationists. Precisely in what form the Bloom Bill —the measure proposing to amend the Neutrality Act —was voted upon by the House, Ihe news cablegrams have not been detailed enough to show. As it was introduced, however, the Bill proposed to colder so much discretionary power on the President that it was described as coming fairly dose to saying: “In time of foreign war, the President shall conduct American foreign policy for the most part as he sees fit.” By 200 votes to J 88, the House of Representatives has done what it can to restrict to a minimum the President’s control over foreign policy. .The neutrality legislation now goes to the Senate, where the President has an overwhelming party majority, but has to reckon, as in the House of Representatives, with divisions that cut across party lines. Under the legislation as it was introduced, nearly every important provision in the Bill was subject Io variation under the President’s initiative and decision. As it now stands, the legislation reimposes an embargo on the export to belligerents of arms and munitions, with the exception of aeroplanes. According to the New York “World-Telegram,” the House has “served notice on England and France that they need not look this way (to the United Stales) if a test comes and their defences are found wanting.” The same paper adds, however, that: “The tragedy is that this assurance to Herr Hitler is no real indication of what Congress would say when the drums begin to beat.” This admission carries the more weight since it evidently is not influenced, to say the least, by any friendly feeling towards the democracies. In spite of the bitter feeling awakened, a certain air of unreality clings to the efforts of Congress to shape hard and fast conditions of American neutrality to be observed in a future war. If war breaks out, American public opinion at that time .will determine the lines of national policy, irrespective of any restraints Congress has sought to impose beforehand. The American Secretary of State, Mr Cordell Hull, summed the matter up in a crisp phrase when he told a Congressional committee which was taking evidence on neutrality legislation .in 1936 that: “Yon cannot slap on a ready-made formula long in advance of a war.” In a rather more elaborate statement to much the same effect, he said:— Frankly, the law cannot be applied practically or satisfactorily if it is mandatory or automatic, and has no reference whatever to the different varying conditions wlpch different wars bring up. As the Secretary of State has pointed out, the refusal to repeal the arms embargo may have serious repercussions on the international situation. The proceedings of Congress have furnished the propaganda departments of the aggressive dictatorships with material of which they will undoubtedly make the most. It would be going to an unwarranted extreme of pessimism, however, 1o believe that the position of the United States has been defined with finality where the struggle between the democracies and the dictatorships in Europe is concerned. Tn an actual test, if it should come, there must be some point at which a great and free nation, if it desires to preserve its selfrespect and to safeguard its own security, will refuse to extend equal treatment to aggressors and to the victims, or intended victims, of aggression. >

viULiina, ujl • From the most strictly American standpoint, attempts to build a war-proof neutrality fence round the United States cannot be regarded as a safe and sufficient method of dealing with the situation that is developing in Europe, ft is now plain to all dispassionate observers that if war breaks out in Europe it will be for no other reason than that the Axis Powers refuse to be halted in a deliberately calculated policy of predatory aggression. That policy, if it is allowed to develop, will sooner or later menae'e the United States. Gaining their ends in Europe, by overthrowing the European democracies or reducing them to helpless passivity, the Axis Powers undoubtedly would proceed to kick the Monroe Doctrine to pieces by following up vigorously the’ various efforts at penetration they have already developed in the Latin American republics. All the information that is available about the present 'state and trend of American public opinion goes to show that there is an almost universal determination not to be involved, in a European war to the extent of sending troops to take part in it. Should war unhappily break out in Europe, however, the United States would have the option and opportunity of assisting economically and in other ways lhe nations that are pledged to resist aggression. Common sense suggests that the American people would be mad not to make Hie most of that opportunity. A policy of ostensible neutrality and inaction adopted by the United States would amount in fact to giving powerful assistance to the aggressors, with whom, should they triumph, the United States undoubtedly would then have to reckon. ATTACKING UNEMPLOYMENT. jY GREAT many people may be inclined to agree with a correspondent, whose letter we published yesterday that there are serious shortcomings and dangers in a policy under which unemployment is relieved year by year at heavy cost, but the conditions in which unemployment takes its rise stand in part, at least, unchanged. Our correspondent suggested that this overshadowing aspect of the situation should be considered by the Minister of Labour (Mr Webb) and those whom he is to meet in Masterton tomorrow to discuss the organisation of relief work in this district. The Minister may say that the problem with which he is concerned meantime is that of finding off-season work for seasonal workers. The fact stands, however, that large numbers of workers in this country are employed, on public works and elsewhere, only by reason of State expenditure, a good deal of which cannot well be continued much longer on anything like the present scale. There is still, also, a considerable annual expenditure definitely and admittedly on the relief of unemployment. As our correspondent pointed out, this expenditure on relief yields only temporary benefits and then leaves the problem to be dealt with all over again, whereas a capital investment of the amounts so apportioned might be made the means of establishing bodies of workers as self-supporting communities. If it could be claimed that those members of our workingpopulation who are unemployed, or ineffectively employed, were being absorbed progressively in fully productive industry it would be possible to look forward confidently to a satisfactory solution of the problem of unemployment. Incidentally, the best method of dealing with seasonal unemployment no doubt, would he to co-ordinate seasonal employment with other branches of productive employment. It can hardly be claimed, however, that" we are making adequate progress in dealing with Ihe total problem of unemployment. The truth seems Io be that unemployment on a serious scale, masked io some extent by the provision of subsidised work, lias become, or is tending to become chronic, even while there is a shortage of skilled labour in some branches of industry. Failing substantial and assured progress in the absorption of workers in self-supporting, productive industry. Ihe method suggested by our correspondent —the equipment with land ami capital of working communities, which would produce largely to satisfy their own needs, as an alternative to expenditure <m merely temporary relief —has claims to practical consideration. It may be hoped that lhe Minister of Labour will have something to say about fundamental methods of dealing with unemployment "when he visits Masterton tomorrow.