A policy adopted by the United States in 1939, it permitted belligerents to purchase war materials, provided they paid immediately in United States dollars and transported the goods in their own vessels. This measure effectively ended the arms embargo imposed by earlier Neutrality Acts, while still aiming to keep the nation out of direct military conflict.
This strategic approach was significant because it allowed the U.S. to support Allied nations, particularly Great Britain and France, against the Axis powers without officially entering World War II. It provided vital resources to countries fighting aggression, boosting the American economy through increased production, and gradually shifted public opinion towards intervention as the threat posed by totalitarian regimes became increasingly apparent.
