America's Neutrality
The evolution of the policy of the United States in regard to the European War could be predicted with more assur- ance if any certain answer could be given to the question asked by our Washington correspondent on a later page: "How long can a great nation remain technically neutral and emotionally partisan?" About America's emotions there is no kind of question. Sympathy with the Allies and desire for their success is as universal as hatred of Nazism ; but hardly less universal is the resolve to keep out of the War at almost any cost. Even the amendment of the Neutrality Act to admit of the sale of aeroplanes and muni- tions to any State which can pay for them and arrange for their transport in other than American ships—which the democracies can and Germany cannot—is not yet to be taken for granted. President Roosevelt's delay in summoning Congress to carry the amendment—it has now been called for September 21st—was clearly due to his conso-as. ness that he must give time for public opinion to gather strength. It is gathering strength, and several pro- minent Senators and Congressmen who opposed the Pre- sident on the Neutrality Act last month are with him now But the isolationists are still pertinacious, and Senator &rah announces his unrelenting opposition to a change which by enabling America to help the Allies with munitions may open the door to a decision to help them later with men. The prospect is that the Neutrality Act will be amended, hut only after hot and protracted debate in the Senate.
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