America's Neutrality It is a curious characteristic of American public
life that, while it is taken for granted that if the democracies were at war with the dictatorships the United States would support the former by all means in its power short of war—and would in all likelihood actually go to war if that were necessary to save democracy—any departure from strict neutrality in advance is viewed with alarmed suspicion. That has to be remembered in estimating the probable effect of the statement of the Government's neutrality policy just addressed by Mr. Cordell Hull to the chairmen of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the two Houses. The main proposals, which, of course, require legislative sanction, and may or may not get it, are that the existing embargo on the export of munitions to any belligerent be dropped, and munitions be supplied, under licence, to any State which can pay cash and carry the goods in its own ships ; that American ships shall be warned off any war area, and American citizens restricted from travel in those areas; that no Government loans or credits be extended to any belligerent. This is neutrality of a rigorous character, for it makes no distinction whatever between a lawless aggressor and an innocent victim. It would, indeed, enable countries with command of the seas to buy munitions from the United States ; but the isolationists may succeed in cutting even that provision out.
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