Neutrality: Initially, Roosevelt proclaimed American neutrality under provisions of the Neutrality Acts—passed by Congress to try to keep the peace, these prohibited arms sales on credit to bellicose nations and required “cash and carry” for all other military items bought from the United States.
Public Condemnation: On September 3, FDR issued a proclamation urging Americans to maintain absolute impartiality while denouncing what he characterized as a conflict that began by “invasion on land and from the air by large armed forces” under an “open declaration of unprovoked force”; Roosevelt called the situation and “act of violence on the part of the German government a clear violation of promises repeatedly made… that Germany would under no circumstances use force to gain additional territory.