ARMS EMBARGO

Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 October 1939, Page 5

ARMS EMBARGO

AMERICAN GOVERNMENT PROPOSALS

SUPPORTED BY WAR TIME SENATOR.

EXPRESSION OF OPPOSED VIEWS.

By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. WASHINGTON, October 3.

Senator George Norris, the only survivor of the six Senators who voted against America’s entry into the Great War, tonight praised the Administration’s neutrality proposals. Senator Norris, broadcasting, said the proposed revisions would provide almost certain protection against the United States being involved in war. He denounced the barbarous, inhuman, uncivilised, unjustified, unmerciful and murderous methods that Hitler and Stalin had adopted to further their unholy ambitions. He said America’s sympathies lay with England and France. The dictators must be stopped or civilisation would be destroyed. He pointed out that the repeal of the arms embargo would favour England and France, who had command of the seas. “It is fortunate that we are able to enact a lav/ which is likely to keep us out of the war,” he said, “and at the same time put us on the side of humanity and civilisation.” REPEAL CONDEMNED. The Senate’s youngest member, Senator Rush Holt, broadcasting throughout the nation, condemned the repeal of the arms embargo as a step toward intervention. He predicted that American money and troops would follow. Senator Holt’s father was assaulted in 1917 because of his stand against America’s entry into the last war. Senator' Holt said that, much as he despised dictatorships, he could not. allow prejudices to blind his reason. “I feel that our desire should not be how to help England,” he said, “but how best to serve America. I cannot subscribe to the theory that the Powers in Europe are fighting our war. On the contrary, they desire us to fight theirs.” Criticising the extension of 90 days’ credits to Powers which were unable to pay their war debts, he forecast thab England would run short of cash. Then the United States would be faced with closing factories operating on a wartime basis or selling on extended credits. SUGGESTED ALTERNATIVE. Senator Holt contended that a cash-and-carry system of general trade could be established without repealing the arms embargo. He indicated that a Bill accomplishing this might be introduced in the Senate as a substitute for the present measure. The Washington representative of the Australian Associated Press says that Senator Pittman’s statement in the Senate for the repeal of the Neutrality legislation and Senator Borah’s lively answer supplied little enlightenment for the United States public. The arguments were not and could not be new. The truth is that the Press and the radio have been so jammed with arguments that the public are becoming befuddled, while observers of the position are little better. SENATORS ON THE AIR. During the weekend there was an outburst of neutrality talk, seven senators speaking over the radio and using arguments which are likely to be heard repeatedly in the Senate during the next three or four weeks. The former Governor of New York, Mr Al Smith, joined the pro-repealites in his first public support of any major Roosevelt measure.

Father Coughlin, in a sermon, supported the anti-repeal faction. The former Bishop of Chicago, the Rev. Bernard Shiel, recalling the late Cardinal Mundelein’s famous rebuke when broadcasting to the nation in what was the cardinal’s last message, said Cardinal Mundelein felt that others had created a situation which could be mistaken as compromising the clergy’s position toward Congress and the President. He therefore urged the nation not to apply “high pressure” to the Senate deliberations but to leave to Congress and President Roosevelt the problem of staying clearing of war. He appealed for the hcceptance of President Roosevelt’s leadership and added that the deliberate bludgeoning of senators by letters and telegrams was an impediment to the democratic process. The anti-repeal propaganda is strongly organised and is so vocal that it is likely to give an impression oi false strength. It seems that the only hope of the repealists lies in the effect of this pressure, since the strategy of the Administration has incorporated many of the repealists’ points. Thus in its present form, the Bill woulo practically sweep United States merchantmen! from the sea, including the Paciflic.

The Administration at present has advantage on the political ground but developments during the debate cannot be predicted and will depend equally upon foreign and domestic factors.

Senators opposing repeal have announced that their radio speakers will include Mr Smedley-Butler, Mr Theodore Roosevelt, jun., and Mrs Alice Longworth, a daughter of the late Theodore Roosevelt.