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At the White House on March 20, 1935, President [[Franklin Roosevelt]] told members of the [[Nye Committee]] that an Act should be prepared which would guarantee, in the event of a European war, the absolute neutrality of the American people.<ref>[http://www.rooseveltmyth.com/book/hbzfrm.htm ''The Roosevelt Myth''], [[John T. Flynn]], Fox and Wilkes, 1948, Book 2, Ch. 6.</ref> The Neutrality Act was introduced in the Senate and House and passed by very large majorities. It had a time limit of two years and at the expiration of the time limit it was passed again by enormous majorities in both houses.  

At the White House on March 20, 1935, President [[Franklin Roosevelt]] told members of the [[Nye Committee]] that an Act should be prepared which would guarantee, in the event of a European war, the absolute neutrality of the American people.<ref>[http://www.rooseveltmyth.com/book/hbzfrm.htm ''The Roosevelt Myth''], [[John T. Flynn]], Fox and Wilkes, 1948, Book 2, Ch. 6.</ref> The Neutrality Act was introduced in the Senate and House and passed by very large majorities. It had a time limit of two years and at the expiration of the time limit it was passed again by enormous majorities in both houses.  

President Roosevelt promptly applied the law when Italian Premier [[Benito Mussolini]] invaded Ethiopia in October 1935. When the [[Spanish Civil War]] broke out in July 1936 Roosevelt discovered the Neutrality Act did not apply to [[civil wars]], but only to wars between countries. Roosevelt requested of Congress to have the law amended immediately to apply to civil war, which Congress did and Roosevelt promptly declared the Neutrality Act in force as to Spain.  

President Roosevelt promptly applied the law when Italian Premier [[Benito Mussolini]] invaded Ethiopia in October 1935. When the [[Spanish Civil War]] broke out in July 1936 Roosevelt discovered the Neutrality Act did not apply to [[civil war]]s, but only to wars between countries. Roosevelt requested of Congress to have the law amended immediately to apply to civil war, which Congress did and Roosevelt promptly declared the Neutrality Act in force as to Spain.  

During the [[Presidential Election of 1936]] Roosevelt said "We shun political commitments which might entangle us in future wars; we avoid connection with the political activities of the League of Nations...­ the effective maintenance of American neutrality depends today as in the past on the wisdom and determination of whoever at the moment occupies the office of President of the United States and Secretary of State."<ref>Public Papers and Addresses of Franklin D. Roosevelt, Volume 5, pps. 285-292. (Random House).</ref> And he warned that in the event of war abroad the [[United States]] would have to be on guard against arms manufacturers seeking "[[Fools gold|fool's gold]]," or war profits from arms trafficking, those who would find it hard to look beyond, "to realize the inevitable penalties, the inevitable day of reckoning that comes from a false prosperity." America could keep out of war, "if those who watch and desire have a sufficiently detailed understanding of international affairs to make certain that the small decisions of today do not lead toward war and if at the same time they possess the courage to say no to those who selfishly or unwisely would lead us into war." This is what was called [[isolationism]].

During the [[Presidential Election of 1936]] Roosevelt said "We shun political commitments which might entangle us in future wars; we avoid connection with the political activities of the League of Nations...­ the effective maintenance of American neutrality depends today as in the past on the wisdom and determination of whoever at the moment occupies the office of President of the United States and Secretary of State."<ref>Public Papers and Addresses of Franklin D. Roosevelt, Volume 5, pps. 285-292. (Random House).</ref> And he warned that in the event of war abroad the [[United States]] would have to be on guard against arms manufacturers seeking "[[Fools gold|fool's gold]]," or war profits from arms trafficking, those who would find it hard to look beyond, "to realize the inevitable penalties, the inevitable day of reckoning that comes from a false prosperity." America could keep out of war, "if those who watch and desire have a sufficiently detailed understanding of international affairs to make certain that the small decisions of today do not lead toward war and if at the same time they possess the courage to say no to those who selfishly or unwisely would lead us into war." This is what was called [[isolationism]].