How do the Neutrality Acts of 1935, 37, and 39 become less Neutral?
http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h4319.html
Sorry Ms. Sue, I think there is a misunderstanding, I know all the Neutrality Acts, However, I am unable to know how all these acts connect together as the laws continued on.
Doesn't this last part of the above article answer your question?
The cash-and-carry provisions had, unlike the rest of the legislation of 1937, had a sunset provision and Roosevelt argued unsuccessfully for its renewal. Instead, it lapsed so that when war broke out on the European continent in 1939, Roosevelt was obliged to invoke its provisions. With public opinion strongly behind the Allies, Congress passed a fresh neutrality act in November 1939, repealing the previous acts and reinstating cash-and-carry sales to belligerents.
True neutrality had been dead since the adoption of cash-and-carry and the pretense was abandoned over the next two years. The "destroyer for bases" agreement signed between Britain and the United States on September 2, 1940, provided for the generous donation of land in British territories for American bases on a 99-year-lease basis. Simultaneously, the United States donated to the British 50 mothballed World War I destroyers, which the British shared with Canada.
While this transaction might have appeared to violate the neutrality acts, Roosevelt obtained an opinion from the Attorney General that it was legal and cited the precedent of the Louisiana Purchase.
In early 1941, Lend-Lease permitted the federal government to provide military equipment to belligerents that it favored. Not surprisingly, this led to increased conflict with the German navy. On October 17, a German torpedo struck the destroyer USS Kearney, resulting in the deaths of eleven sailors. In a Navy Day address ten days later, Roosevelt held the incident up as a clear example of Nazi aggression, but failed to mention that the Kearney had been shadowing the German submarine for hours in a warlike manner.
In the same speech, Roosevelt announced that he had in his position a secret map, produced by the Nazis and outlining their plans to take over South America. In all likelihood, the map was a product of British intelligence and FDR knew it, but it was an effective device to further incite war fever in Americans.
The neutrality acts had been mortally wounded and soon were discard. On October 27, he called for a total defense effort against Germany and requested changes to the Neutrality Act. Intense opposition was expressed by Robert A. Taft, who stated the following day in the Senate that, "The adoption of the resolution now before the Senate would be direct authority from Congress to the President to carry on an undeclared war against Germany, Italy, and Japan on all the oceans of the world and in all the ports into which seagoing ships may sail."
Despite the voices of Taft and others, the Senate and House accepted Roosevelt`s requests in early November; merchant ships were permitted to carry any cargoes to belligerents and to be armed. The following month, the United States was at war around the world.
My Apologies Ms. Sue, Thank you for the Configurations.
You're welcome.
To understand how the Neutrality Acts of 1935, 1937, and 1939 became less neutral over time, we need to look at the context and specific provisions of each act. Here's a breakdown of the key points:
1. Neutrality Act of 1935:
- This act aimed to prevent the United States from getting involved in future conflicts by imposing an arms embargo on all belligerent nations.
- The act also prohibited American citizens from traveling on belligerent ships and participating in armed conflicts.
2. Neutrality Act of 1937:
- This act included many provisions of the 1935 act, but it modified certain restrictions.
- It allowed the sale of non-military goods to belligerent nations on a "cash-and-carry" basis. This meant that belligerent countries had to pay in cash and transport the goods on their ships.
- While the act still aimed to avoid direct involvement in conflicts, it provided a limited means for the U.S. to support certain nations without being drawn into war.
3. Neutrality Act of 1939:
- This act marked a significant shift from the previous acts in response to the escalating tensions leading up to World War II.
- It repealed the arms embargo and allowed the U.S. to provide arms to belligerent nations on a "cash-and-carry" basis.
- It also authorized the President to declare a state of "limited national emergency" and placed restrictions on American citizens traveling to war zones.
From the progression of these acts, we see a gradual departure from strict neutrality. The 1935 act sought to isolate the U.S. from conflicts altogether, while the 1937 act provided a limited form of support. Finally, the 1939 act marked a clear shift by allowing the sale of arms, removing the arms embargo, and granting the President authority to declare emergencies.
These changes reflected an acknowledgment of the increasing threat posed by aggressive powers (such as Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan) and the realization that strict neutrality might not be the most effective response in the face of global instability.