As America teetered closer to war in October 1941, the question on most people's minds was what became of our neutrality in the face of a full-scale war going on in Europe?
To answer that question American Foreign Policy Association spokesman A. Randall Elliot appeared on the Sunday Morning radio series Our Foreign Policy from October 5, 1941.
A. Randall Elliot (U.S. Foreign Policy Association):” In his two proclamations of September 5th 1939, the President drew a sharp distinction between the traditional and the modern forms of neutrality. His first pronouncement set forth some twenty-eight regulations to be observed within the jurisdiction of the United States in conformity with domestic law and practice. Among the rules invoked were the customary prohibitions against enlistment in the Armed Forces of nations at war, fitting out or arming belligerent vessels and furnishing supplies to belligerent warships. Many of these restrictions were swept away with the passage of the Lease-Lend Act which automatically canceled all existing legislation contrary to its provisions. Subsequent Executive orders and Presidential Proclamations have annulled at least twenty-five of the twenty-eight regulations.”
In 8 weeks the whole issue would fly out the window anyway with the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor.
