AMERICAN NEUTRALITY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 8 September 1939, Page 5

AMERICAN NEUTRALITY

EARLY SESSION OF CONGRESS ANTICIPATED

Predictions of Major Shift in Attitude

EMBARGO ON ARMS EXPORT MAY BE LIFTED

QUESTIONS AS TO SEIZURE OF CONTRABAND

(By Telegraph.- Press Association

-Copyright.)

XHW YORK September 7. Congress may be called by President Roosevelt as early as September 15 to act upon the Neutrality Act, it was disclosed in New York by official sources in close touch with Washington, states the ‘New York Times.” It was also disclosed that the President feels a major shift in the country’s position toward the European conflict is inevitable.

The A\ asliington correspondent of ihe “Xew York Times” asks: “ \\ hat will Ihe I’nilod Slates <l<> if its merchantmen are stopped at sea .’ How lar will it go should merchant cargoes be arbitrarily defined as emit r.a hand by belligerents and seized? Even il Americans are compensated for losses, these and dozens of similar questions are expeeled lo arise in the next lew months, but officials are hesitant to give any answer. J bey pre! er lo await actual eases, each with its own set of circumstances. ” I

t’he correspondent I hen slresses that the United States has not decided wlial its neutrality actually means, and intimates Hiat if the present neutrality statute coni limes lo stand it will be a fertile source of trouble I'm- the United Slates.

Senator Minion, Democrat whip, today predicted a special session of Congress by Gctoher 1 lor the revision of Ihe Neutrality legislation. “Feeling m ihe United Slates is swinging toward lilting llie embargo, partly for economic reasons, partly because of the crystallisation of American sentiment toward the question involved in the turmoil of Europe,” he said.

ACTION AGAINST ESPIONAGE,

President Roosevelt has issued a statement asking all the law enforcement officers in the United States to turn over' to the Federal Bureau of Investigation “any information . . . . relating to espionage, counter-espion-age. sabotage and subversive activities, and violations of the neutrality laws." Mr Hull, replying to a memorandum from General Franco asking for joint action by the neutral countries toward “localisation of the present conflict," approved the step and reiterated the' readiness of the United States to “use all its influence in the future, as it has in the past, for the restoration and maintenance of peace between the nations.” The President has placed the Panama Canal under full military control. Ho has also ordered a patrol b.y sea and air of the coastline and waters of the United States and its posses-

sions to a distance of several hundred miles out from the shore in order to protect American neutrality. Hundreds of destroyers are being recommissioned for the purpose. NEUTRALITY IN PHILIPPINES. The seaplane carrier Langley and 12 long-range patrol planes have been ordered from Honolulu to Manila to enforce neutrality in the Philippines. The Board of Trade announces that shipping sources “positively located a submarine off Key West. Florida." Presumably it is a German submarine. Three financial institution, seeking to protect outstanding American loans to German banks have attached 25.000.000 dollars of German cash held in New York by a banking firm. Orders worth 33.000 dollars for military planes remain unfulfilled in a Southern Californian factory as a result of the neutrality embargo, it is reported from Los Angeles.