Sept. 23, The speech with which President Roose~ velt addressed Congress on its assembly for special session occasioned by the outbreak of war in Europe is an important, and teresting one, and in it he has made his case for the revision of the Neutrality Act which has caused so much heartburning in recent weeks. It has been said that Congress ad-Journed without considering amendment of the Neutrality Act in. the faith that there would be no war in Europe before it normally reassembled in January next. Since it adjourned, however, events have moved with bewildering rapidity, and if the President had a strong case for revision of the Act before Congress dispersed, he most certainly has a much stronger one now in view of all that has happened. The propositions which the President has put forward for the amendment of the neutrality legislation comprise (1) granting of authority to the President to fix war zones which American merchantmen should be prohibited from entering, (2) granting of broader authority to prevent Americans from travelling on belligerent ships, (3) provision that a belligerent nation purchasing supplies in the United States must take title to the pur~ chase prior to its shipment from the United States, and (4) a ban against war credits to belligerent nations. The effect of the last two proposals, if adopted by Congress, would be to permit' of purchases being made by belligerents to be paid for in cash, to be carried in purchasers' own ships, and at their own risk. In other words the "cash and carry system." Absence of this legisla tion from the U.S. statute book meant that fon the outbreak of war the contracts which Great Britain had placed in the United States for armaments, chiefly aeroplanes, became unfulfilable, and though work is proceeding under the contracts, it is clear that unless the Neutrality Act is amended along the lines suggested by the President they 1ot_be delivered until the end of the That is not when they will be wanted, and the argument of those who contend that the existing Neutrality Act works to the aye of the Allies is consequently strengthened.
The, view that as the unamended enaet~ ment Stands it operates in favour of Herr Hitler and against the Allies, is not one held solely by those who for very apparent reasons would greatly like to set the change for which Mr, Roosevelt asks. There is 2
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.