The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-22

senators about him. said: How can We justify ourselves. if We lave not Justification?
 But, sir that is not all. If 1t had tecn ali the President would not have come to the Congress yesterday. If 1t had been all, we would not have been discussing this subject nere tonight. Back or thls Incident. back of the special cir cumsiances of the resolution reported by the committee, is a great array of fact .
 senator Root asked what would have been done if u similar incident had oe- cured in an English. French or Ger man port. He said that any such dis pute could be settled by peaceful negotia- tions
 If this dispute was all he said, there should be no difficulty In reaching a pea cefnl conclusion
 If this be all how can we justify. n our arrogance. our present attitude to- ward bankrupt, weak, despairing Mexico if this be all? But this is not all 1t IS not all. There is matter of justihca tion And the senator from Massachusetts has sought to lay it before the Senate in his substitute for the preamble of the resolu- tion.
 Living behind the insult to the .Ameri- can flag are the lives of Americans de {. stroyed, Americans reduced to poverty because of the destruction of their prop erty. Living behind it is a condition of anarchy in Mexico, a condition which makes il impossible to secure protection for American life and property.
 Lying back of this incident Is a condi- ton of things in Mexico which absolutely prevents the protection or American lives and property. except through respect for the American flag, the American uniform the American government. It is thas that makes necessary the demand that public respect be made the flag of .he United States.
 Our Justification
 There is our justification. It is a jus tiheation lying not in Nictoriano Huerta or in his conduct alone. but in the un.- versal conduct of affairs in Mexico ami the real object to be attained by the course which we are asked to approve ia not the qualification of personal pride it is not the satisfaction of government or an admiral, it is the desire of tha United States to protect it's citizens under these conditions"
 Tension in the chamber increased as Senator Root. In voice that sank low CT and lower, reached his conclusion and pleaded for greater justification than mere dispute over the formal ceremony of salute" for the use of force
 If we omit from this resolution that we are to pass here tonight" he said the matters included in the substitute preamble, we omit the real reasons be- hind the action. On the facts in the resolution as reported by the commit tee we would be everlastingly wrong On the facts in the substitute We could rest before the world. and before hiss tory. secure.
 Demand Something More
 An. MT. President" he said, in a voice that sank almost to A whisper. and the galleries leaned forward breathlessly to hear. the capture of Vera Cruz the death of our American marines, the wounds and the suffering of those who lie there tonight de- mand something more, far more, than a formal insult. for Justification. The recitals of the substitute preamble are weak in the face of death and suffer ing in Vera Cruz tonight The sub preamble is weak, but it gives for mal. adequate grounds for the great formid- able movement of the great naval and military power of this government. II gives the justification that is needed
 As Senator Root took a seat a sigh literally swept the chamber and was lost in a chattering chorus of whis- pered comments that was stilled by the gavel of Senator Lewis in the chair As it subsided Senator Reed took the floor.
 Secretary Bryan sat on the floor of the Stndlt ana ntdfu most or senator Roots speech
 Secretary McAdoo reached the Senate chamber just as MT. Root ended. He. too, took a seat on the floor. Secre- tary Lane was in the diplomatic gal Trey.
 Senator Reed began:
 'I say with all respect to the senator from New ' ork that 1t Is not contest over the number of guns it is over a much 2raVer question
 "rhe number of guns fired under cer- tain circumstance is an answer to the question as to whether a proper apol- ogy has been mad, or not. This Is the first notice to my knowledge that the de facto government had insulted our flag.
 "The least any nation could do would be to apologize and do the thing that is demanded in such circumstances. We are not standing on punctillio; we are standing on the majesty of this gov. ernment.
 Tt may be unhappy that blood has been spilled at Vera Cruz; it may be It's ruddy drops will stain every acre of Mexico, but at the other end of this capitol sits a man who believes that this fire may yet be circumscribed within the territory now controlled by Huerta. But you on the other side, who would write into this resolution your preamble, would declare war against all of Mexico and force an invasion of every foot of Mexican soil"
 Not a Land Thief
 Senator Reed declared the United States was not "a land thief and asserted that Mexican territory was in no sense the object of the nations action.
 ''The President of the United States is charged with a great responsibility. He hopes that the hope of peace is not yet gone. He asks for Justification and in reply to that request he meets de- mand that we make a general declaration of war"
 Postmaster General Burleson and Sec retary to the President Tumulty took places on the floor as Senator Reed spoke. In the gallery two soldiers in un- form attracted the attention of the other spectators.
 "Mr. President, can we not voter" said Senator Reed in conclusion They are dying down there in Mexico already.
 Can we not say we are not quibbling about sentences, but can we not say that we stand with President Wilson for jus tice by the authorities fin Mexco?"
 Senator Meeks of Mass chusetts said that unless the resolution were changed materially he would vote against it.
 "I am. however embarrassed he said, "by change in the conditions from the time we met this morning to tonight While a citizen and a senator may criticise the President of the United States in matter of foreign policy. every senator and citizen must support the President when 1t comes to war. We are told that four of our men