UNITED STATES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 30 September 1939, Page 9

UNITED STATES

NOT AT WAR & NOT GOING TO BE ACCORDING TO PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT. PRICES TO BE CONTROLLED. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received This Day, 9.10 a.m.) WASHINGTON, September 29. President. Roosevelt at. a Press con Terence reiterated his conviction that the United States would be able to abstain from participation in the war in Europe and said that since the United States was not at war, and was not going' to be, he saw no public interest in war and industrial mobilisation plans being now considered by various Government and private boards. He added that prices were being investigated with the idea of preventing an increase in the cost of living and they certainly would not permit prices to go “through the roof.” The President concluded that from the American neutrality patrol and other sources he was hearing unconfirmed reports of submarines operating in American coastal waters. NEUTRALITY BILL AMERICAN SHIPPING SWEPT FROM SEAS. TALK OF COMPROMISE. (Received This Day, 9.10 a.m.) NEW YORK, September 29. The Washington correspondent of the North American Newspaper Alliance states that, as drafted, the Neutrality Bill will virtually sweep the American merchant marine from the seas on which it is now being maintained at great expense to the American Government, but this is an extreme alternative only, cleverly designed to produce a compromise, namely, some tempering of the President’s powers to proclaim combat areas by Congressional supervision. Thus practically speaking there is only one combat area, namely the North Atlantic. Trade might be employed on routes from which British and French ships have been withdrawn. With labour, capital and the national interest all on the side of this compromise, its chances of acceptance seem pretty good. WAR AND POLITICS VIEWS OF REPUBLICAN CHAIRMAN. NEW YORK, September 29. Mr Hamilton, chairman of the Republican National Committee, disagreed with President Roosevelt s suggestion for an adjournment of partisanship during the war crisis. He said the very fact that domestic problems had increased proved the necessity for balance of the wheel in politics. However, there should be no partisanship in the matter of neutrality revision.

EMBARGO DEBATE

NEW CREDITS PROPOSAL. GOVERNMENT IN STRONG POSITION. (Received This Day, 10.10 a.m.) WASHINGTON, September 29. President Roosevelt declined to comment on Mr Hamilton’s remarks concerning partisanship during the war crisis. He refered questioners to his address on September 21, in which he said: “These perilous days demand cooperation without a trace of partisanship,” and “I urge 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.” Senator Pittman elucidated the credit feature of the neutrality measure, setting out that any nation defaulting national credits, thus amending, the orfor three months will be denied addiiginal provision under which the President had discretionary powers of extensions. Mr Pittman said the Bill would modify the Johnson Act, permitting war debt defaulters 90-day commercial credits if the President so authorised. Senator Johnson immediately countered this by saying he would offer an amendment to the Neutrality Bill preventing the modification of the Johnson Act. Mr Pittman, in his statement said, that Britain and France, under the Johnson Act, would not get credits that Germany could. There ought not to be any discrimination. SENATE VOTES SUPPORT FOR ADMINISTRATION. (Received This Day, 10.10 a.m.) NEW YORK, September 29. The Washington correspondent of the New York “Sun” states that the Administration, forced into seeking tnc repeal of the arms embargo, has gained strength heavily in the Senate during the past week. A careful poll shows that the Administration would have a two-thirds majority today.