In the early 1930's, America was troubled by the rise of dictatorships in Italy and
             Germany, and a militaristic government in Japan, but felt unable, and unwilling, to do
             anything about these developments. The inability of the League Of Nations to halt
             aggressor nations further strengthened American isolationists. As a result, isolationist
             congressmen succeeded in passing neutrality acts intended to keep the United States
             out of another war. President Roosevelt invoked the Neutrality Acts against the
             belligerents and issued a declaration of American neutrality. Roosevelt's primary goal
             was to keep the nation neutral in action, however, he did not expect all Americans to
             The Neutrality Act of 1935 declared that the President should prohibit for six
             months the shipping of arms to warring powers and should forbid Americans citizens
             to travel on the ships of nations at war. Roosevelt preferred and embargo on arms
             shipments to aggressor nations while permitting the sale of arms to nations defending
             themselves. But the isolationists felt that if the United States was to keep out of foreign
             quarrels, it could not afford to distinguish between aggressors and victims.
             In 1937, congress passed a second Neutrality Act. It retained the restrictions of
             the earlier legislation and also made it illegal for Americans to travel on ships of
             warring nations. Belligerent nations were allowed to buy non-military goods from the
             United States if they paid cash and transported goods in their own ships. Most
             Americans continued to hope that these laws could keep the country from becoming
             involved in Europe's seemingly endless troubles.
             Before the outbreak of World War II Roosevelt had voiced his objections to the
             Neutrality Acts. Such legislation played into the hands of aggressor nations by
             assuring them that there victims could not get military supplies from the United States.
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