Aster making the foregoing lengthy statement Mr, Hull was asked about the extent and manner in which the proposed bill. would affect existing Haws, domestic and international. The Secretary answered os follows, by referring to various treaties ' and The Johnson Act: This Act woud not appear to be Involved For the reason that it" does nat Spply to this Government, or 10 a"pubule corporation exerted by or Ta? pursumnee of spectalauthorization of Congress, or toa cor poration in which the Government fs or exercises a controlling. interest, as for example the Export= Import Bank, 'The Neturalily Act of 193 section 7 of this Act, which prohibited the extension' of loans oF credits {0 a belligerent govern: rents not by i. terms. made uppliceble to this Government. but it does apply to.a corporation such the Exportlimport Bank. 1 any Sent the provision would be Superseded bythe new ack In so far as transactions by this Govern iment are concerned, "3, Uniled States Code, Tite 1 section 23 makes 1 unlawful (0 Ait out or axm in the United States a vessel with Sntent that It shall
oreign belligerent against a power "employed in the service of 8 people. with which the- United States "are "at peace. Section 24 fakes {tunlawful 10 increase oF Tugment in our ports the force of aS. of war or other armed esse! belonging to. belligerent "Section 39. makes it uns in which the tral to. send vessel of war for delivery to a belligerent nation, "These provisions would superseded by the new Act, "The Hague Convention 1907; Hague Convention 13 of 1907 states in Article 6 that the supply In_any manner, directly. oF me directly, by a neutral power to a belligerent' power of warships, ammunition or war materials of any" kind whatever is forbidden,' Article 17 states. that in neutr ports belligerent warships mi Only carry out such repairs as are Absolutely "necessary to render them seaworthy and may not add In-any manner whatsoever to their Article 1 slates, replenishing or increasing their supply of war material oF their armament! 'The Convention is not applicable to the present European war for the reason that it provides Ju Article 28 that it shall not apply unless all the belligerents are parties to the Convention' Great Britain and Italy are not parties to the Convention,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.