What was the reason the Neutrality Acts were revised to allow cash-and-carry in the 1930s?

The Neutrality Acts were revised in the 1930s to include the "cash-and-carry" provision primarily to aid the Allies while maintaining a stance of neutrality. Initially, the Neutrality Acts were designed to prevent the United States from becoming entangled in foreign conflicts by restricting arms sales and loans to belligerent nations. However, as the threat from Axis powers grew, particularly with the onset of World War II, there was a need to support countries like Britain and France without directly involving the U.S. in the conflict.

The "cash-and-carry" policy allowed belligerent nations to purchase arms and other goods from the United States as long as they paid in cash and transported the goods themselves. This revision aimed to bolster the defense capabilities of the Allies against Axis aggression while keeping American ships and citizens out of war zones, thus maintaining a form of neutrality.