Word: words
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Dates: during 1930-1939
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Shall or May. Like all political fights, this one could be minimized into a quarrel over terms-in this case a grammarian's choice: the word "may" or the word "shall." Vandenberg helped draft the arms embargo clause for the Neutrality Act; in it he insisted that when a state of war was found to exist, the President "shall proclaim" an embargo on sales of arms to belligerents...
...State Department wanted the law discretionary; Secretary Hull sought to have the law read: "The President may proclaim." Without enthusiasm, Franklin Roosevelt signed the bill that came to his ship in the Gulf of Mexico May 1, 1937 - and the word was "shall." Last week the President spoke from the House rostrum his grave regret for that signature of approval - the first time since he became Chief Executive he has thus publicly admitted a major mistake. This conciliatory note was typical of the surface serenity of last week's Washington scene...
...Hendrick Vandenberg was the biggest paradox of all. Vandenberg best symbolized all phases and shades of the opposition to embargo repeal, thus was chosen to open debate for the antis, while Clark (diehard extremist) was to manage the Floor fight; and Borah (traditional romantic) was to have the last word. Thus the "Big Michigander,"* always safe, sound, middle-of-the-road, now stood up to the Pretorian Guard of his party-Big Business. For there was no doubt he was flying in the face of Michigan's corporate empire-General Motors. Henry Ford, however, vigorously backed his stand...
...followers. . . . [When Britons say] that this war will last three years, then I can only say my sympathies are with the French poilu. At present he knows that he will have to fight for at least three years. ... If it should last for three years then the word capitulation will not appear at the end of the third year, neither at the end of the fourth . . . and also not in the sixth or seventh year! The German people will not split up in this fight...
...What honest man in no matter what country in the world could still believe in the word of those who today declare themselves satisfied or peaceful, now that they are covered with blood? . . . When Mr. Hitler tells us today after destroying Poland that he asks for nothing more, when he declares he wants nothing from France and will respect her frontiers, every Frenchman knows he will not hesitate if he can destroy France as he destroyed Austria, as he destroyed Czecho-Slovakia, as he seeks to destroy Poland...