A clause in the neutrality bill now being debated in the Senate was seen by the New York Times yesterday as a possible bar to aid for war victims in belligerent countries.
In an editorial, the Times said that narrow construction of the phrase “in aid of,” which is included in Section 8 (b) of the measure permitting certain types of aid for war victims except persons or organizations acting “in aid of” belligerents, “would rule out almost any effort to aid women and children in a belligerent country.”
Suggesting that the bill as now phrased might make it “illegal to send milk to undernourished children or medicines to the old and the sick,” the Times urged that if this was not the intention, the quoted phrase should be brought out into the open and, if necessary, removed.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
