The neutrality act is the nucleons of the United States position in the present crisis. The first section of the Act grants the President powers to deal with the immediate. situation which last thu February 29 next year, when Congress again will session and ready to consider the prob-Jem afresh. Upon the outbreak, of during the progress, of a war between two ar more states the President shall port while any vessel previously known to have taken supplies may be detained. Section five gives the Presi dent power to forbid by proclamation the use of United States ports to the submarines of belligerents. Section six gives the President powers to forbid America citizens to travel jon the vessels of belligerents. The remaining sections discuss penalities These sections are aimed at preventing Jdimculties which arose in during the [Great War and are the fragmentary sections of a much broader neutrality fact to be passed in the future.
To Fortity Economic Sanctions The Neutrality Act, whether Congress intended it or'not, is an in-Jstrument placed in the hands of the President which could be wed Htortity any economic sanctions which ithe League wished to apply. Its em-[bargo provisions would mainly affect aly and thus, if a broad inferpretaion of war supplies were adopted, strengthen the economic blockade. [But the President in using this weapon must take into consideration public Jopinion and the various groups bring Ing their influence to bear on the White House, The wide publicity given during the past year to the activities of munitions makers has prepared the country for the acceptance of drastic restrictions upon those who seek to make a profit out of war but it as also led them to believe in the general selfishness and greed of all' nations, Great Britain is therefore represented in a wide section of the press as opposing, Italy because the Tatler power has challenged her supremacy in the /Mediterranean. Pleas that America, should help to preserve peace are put down as subtle British propaganda Intended to disguise the fact that the [United States is actually being asked to preserve the British Empire. "Dont let's be fooled again. We got nothing out of the last war but a packet of ill-wilt and a bundle of bad Jdebts." cry these voices. The preservation of peace is held to be no Jeoncern of America. All she should be concerned with is the preservation lof neutrality. The embargo weapon should therefore be used to prevent the United States from becoming entangled in any way in the messy business,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.