KEEPING OUT OF WAR

Wairarapa Times-Age, 22 September 1939, Page 5

KEEPING OUT OF WAR

ADDRESS BY AMERICAN PRESIDENT NEUTRALITY LAW AMENDMENT REPEAL OF ARMS EMBARGO URGED. DANGERS OF EXISTING POSITION. By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright. (Received This Day, 9.20 a.m.) WASHINGTON, September 21. _ At the reopening of Congress President Roosevelt urged repeal of the embargo provisions of the Neutrality Act and a return to the principles of international law in trading with belligerents. He proposed that after the repeal there should be: — (1) Authority to fix war zones in which American merchant ships may not enter. (2) Broader authority to prevent nationals from travelling in belligerent ships on in danger zones. (3) Belligerents purchasing commodities in the United States must take title thereto before shipment. (4) A ban on war credits to belligerents.

“The result of the last two provisions would be that all purchases would be made for cash and that cargoes would be carried at' the purchasers’ risk in the purchasers’ ships,” said Mr Roosevelt, who proposed that after the enactment of this programme Congress should adjourn, subject to recall in the event of war or developments requiring attention. He continued: “These perilous days demand co-op-eration without a trace of partisanship. Our acts must be guided by one single hard-headed thought —Keeping America out of the war. I cannot offer any hope that the shadow will pass swiftly. A darker period may lie ahead. The disaster is not of our making, and no act of ours has endangered the forces assaulting the foundations of civilisation; yet we are affected to the core. The currents of commerce are changing and our minds are filled with new problems. The position in world affairs has altered.” AN IMPAIRED POSITION. The President declared that the present legislation had altered the historic foreign policy of the United States and impaired its peaceful relations with foreign nations. He said the enactmen: did more than merely reverse the traditional policy of the United States. It put land powers on the same footing as naval powers as far as seaborne commerce was concerned. A land power threatening war was thus assured in advance that a prospecpective sea,power antagonist would be weakened through a denial of the ancient right to buy anything anywhere. This gave an advantage to one belligerent, not because of his own strength or geographic position, but through affirmative action by the United States. The removal of the embargo merely reverted to the sounder international practice of pursuing in war time, as in peace time, ordinary trade policies. It would put the United States back on the solid footing of real and traditional neutrality. SAFETY PROGRAMME. Mr Roosevelt urged that the proposed amendment offered greater safeguards than were now possessed, or were ever possessed, to protect American lives and property. It was a positive safety programme and meant less likelihood of incidents or controversies tending to draw the United States into war. Therein lay the road to peace. Mr Roosevelt added that, having striven and failed to avert war, he was not losing any time in an effort to prevent the United States being involved. He predicted success in this direction. “I regret that Congress passed the Neutrality Act and regret equally that I signed the Act,” he said. “I give you my deep and unalterable conviction that by its repeal the United States will more probably remain in peace than if the law remains. Fate seems now to compel us to assume the task of helping to maintain in the Western world a citadel in which civilisation can be kept alive, regardless of party. The mantle of peace and patriotism is wide enough to cover all. Let no group assume the exclusive label of a peace bloc to which all belong.” He urged those seeking to retain the embargo to be consistent and to seek legislation to prevent the sale of copper, meat, wheat, cloth and a thousand other articles to belligerents. Recalling his January speech, the President declared that the essentials for American peace had not changed since. Therefore he asked for a re-ex-amination of legislative action in respect of that part which was inconsistent with ancient precepts, because he believed they were vitally dangerous to American peace, neutrality and security. , x ., _ The Senate adjourned until September 25, amid cries by the public outside lhe Capitol: “Peace! Keep us out of the war! Preserve neutrality! Hurrah Roosevelt!” AMERICAN OPINION “FORTUNE” MAGAZINE SURVEY. BIG MAJORITY IN FAVOUR OF ALLIES. (Received This Day, 9.20 a.m.) WASHINGTON, September 21. A “Fortune” magazine survey indicated that 83.1 per cent of Americans favour Britain and France; 64.8 per cent believe that Britain and France will win: 24.7 per cent favour a complete embargo; 29.3 per cent favour unrestricted cash and carry sales; 19.9 per cent favour supplying materials and food to Britain and France and denying them to Germany; 13.3 per cent favour entering the war on the side of Britain and France only if their defeat is likely; 2.3 per cent favour immediate war and sending a United States army to Europe. One per cent urge support of Germany.