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Statement for the Press by the Secretary of State
A member of the press having made inquiry as to whether the United States Government is keeping in touch with exports to the belligerent countries, the Secretary of State today said:
“We have been and are each day giving the most diligent and earnest attention to this and other phases of our situation as it relates to the Ethiopian-Italian controversy. At this stage I reiterate and call special attention to the definite implications and the effect of the policy of this Government to discourage dealings with the two belligerent nations as set forth in the President’s public statement of October 5 and my statement of October 10 warning our people not to trade with the belligerents except at their own risk. The policy of the government as thus defined rests primarily upon the recent neutrality act designed to keep the nation out of war, and upon the further purpose not to aid in protracting the war.
“It is my opinion that our citizens will not be disposed to insist upon transactions to derive war profits at the expense of human lives and human misery. In this connection I again repeat that an early peace with the restoration of normal business and normal business profits is far sounder and far preferable to temporary and risky war profits.”