Evening star., 1914-04-20
HISTORY IN MAKING
AT CAPITOL TODAY
Solemn Scene as President
Asks Congress for Aid in
National Crisis.
PARTY CRITICS STILLED
BY GRAVITY OF THE HOUR
Speedy Action Promised on Resolu-
tion Giving Executive
Power He Asks.

Woodrow Wilson. the President of the
United States, stood before the as
sembled senators and representatives
gathered in joint session in the hall of
the House of Representatives at 3
o'clock this afternoon, and with his
own lips asked Congress to endow him
with sufficient authority to blockade
the ports of Mexico on either ocean,
and to take military measures strong
enough to protect American lives and
property south of the Rio Grande.
There has been no intimation today in
Congress that this request will be refused.
AS far as possible, the machinery of the
nations legislature in the Capitol today
has been lightened to give the right of
way to the resolution which Is to be
enacted into law before the United States
speaks through its armed forces now
pushing southwark.
Prompt Action Is Assured.
The resolution will phrase in legisla-
tive parlance exactly what the Pres,-
dent asked for in his message. 1t will
be framed in a meeting of the House
committee on foreign affairs, which in
tends to go into executive session i'm
mediately following the delivery of the
message by President Wilson himself A
similar resolution will be introduced in
the Senate at the same time
Leaders of all three parties in Congress,
while not expressing opinions as to the
advisability of blockade of ports, say
freely that the action is war Whether
or not the formality of declaring war is
taken, the entire stage at the Capitol is
set for war, whether it be called blockade,
intervention or what not.
Republicans who have criticised the
administrations Mexican policy expect
to stand behind the President, as far as
the public occurrences in the House to-
day are concerned. although there may
be lively discussion of the entire af-
fair behind the closed doors of the for
eign affairs committee this afternoon.
Message to Be Historical.
The Presidents message bids fair to
go down to history with the great docu-
ments of the nations story. 1t is the
first time President has stood beneath
the flag which floats over the House of
Representa- and has asked the men
sent here by every farm and hamlet and
great city of the nation to say that the
ships of the navy and the men of the
army be used in a warlike movement
against another nation. War messages
have heretofore been sent by messenger
No man in America, since the dawn
of It's natal day, saw what the favored
few crowded into the hall and galleries
saw today-an American President
quietly asking that he be allowed to
place u mailed fist upon the throat of a
sister republic.
Cheers for the President.
The senators and representatives
stood up and cheered Woodrow Wilson
when he appeared. The galleries added
the applause of the meager hundreds
which can crowd into those limited
spaces. The President, with his usual
courteous manner. shook hands with
the Vice President and the Speaker as
he mounted the rostrum.
And then he turned to the Congress
OF the United States and asked that his
hands be upheld
In the executive gallery were Mrs.
Wilson, Mrs. Garrison, Mrs. Lane. Mrs,
Lamar. wife of Justice Lamar. Miss
Bones. Mrs Wallace and Mrs Sheridan.
In the diplomatic gallery were Sir
Arthur Cecil spring-Rice. British am
bassador, and Minister Pezet of Peru.
Minister Calderon of Bolivia. Ambas g.
sador Jusserand. France; Director John
Barrett of the Pan-American Union and
others, 1890