SAFETY ZONES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 28 September 1939, Page 7

SAFETY ZONES

FOR AMERICAN SHIPPING PROPOSED BY UNITED STATES. PREVENTION OF RAIDING & SEARCHES. PANAMA. CITY, September 27. The United States Assistant Secretary of State, Mr Sumner Welles, speaking at the Pan-American conference, proposed a sweeping programme designed to keep away the European war from the Americas. It chiefly provides for:— (1) A safety zone for merchant shipping, the United States to bear the chief burden of patrolling it and preventing searches, seizures and raiding. (2) The banning of belligerent submarines from American ports. (3) A joint representation 'to the belligerents setting forth the Ameicas’ neutrality declarations. (4) The stabilisation of monetary and commercial relationship between the Americas. (5) The preservation of liberal trade policies. (6) The suppression of subversive neutrality-violating activities.

Mr Welles stated plainly that the United States Navy would co-operate in patrolling the waters adjacent to the Americas. It is understood that the waters of Canada and the colonies and possessions of the-belligerents will be excepted from the safety zone. SHIPPING BAN VALUABLE TOURIST TRADE IN QUESTION. CALIFORNIAN RESOLUTIONS. NEW YORK. September 26. Mr Tom Girdler, president of the Republic Steel Corporation, urged the repeal of the arms embargo in order to keep the United States out of war. He announced that his company was spending 3,000,000 dollars on plant expansion. The foreign trade section of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce passed a resolution against the amendment of 'the Neutrality Act banning American ships from belligerent ports regardless of the actual hazards, chiefly the ports of Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Canada. The Australian Associated Press was told that the immediate effect of such an amendment would be the cessation of the valuable tourist traffic which otherwise might be expanded because of the shutting off of Europe. The San Francisco chamber passed a similar resolution.

The committee of the American Legion advocated that the United States stay out of the war and demands that the session of Congress continue throughout the crisis. It left to Congress the decision regarding the repeal of the arms embargo, not taking a stand on it.