Foreign Relations of the United States Diplomatic Papers, 1939, The Far East, Volume III

793.94111/125

The Secretary of State to the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (Pittman)

Washington, August 26, 1939.

My Dear Senator Pittman: I refer to your letter of August 14⁸⁴ transmitting for consideration and any recommendation or report that I may feel disposed to make, the resolution (S. J. Res. 186)⁸⁵ providing that the United States shall maintain a policy of strict neutrality in Asia.

In view of the fact that the policy of this country has been clearly indicated in the statements and the decisions of the President and this Department, and of the fact that this policy is a policy of neutrality in regard to all parts of the world, and of the further fact that this resolution, if adopted, would be readily susceptible of misconstruction, misinterpretation and misrepresentation, I am sure that you will agree with me that the public interest will be best served if no action be taken on the resolution.

Sincerely yours,

Cordell Hull

84. Not printed.
85. Introduced by Senator Gerald P. Nye, of North Dakota, on August 5; Congressional Record, Vol. 84, pt. 10, p. 11126.