Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-04-21

limiting debate to two hours and 10
minutes.
Representative Flood opened the
| debate In favor of the resolution. In
| his lucid manner, the President dem
! onstrated the necessity of action to
resent insults to the United States
| flag by Huerta," he said. This is not
a declaration of war This is only a
/ step that he has taken now to pre-
vent war. 1t has been carefully drawn
to prevent war"
Would it give the President the
right to blockade the ports Of Mex
ico?" asked Rep. Gillette.
YES" said Mr.. Flood.
Isn't that an act Of WARP" asked
Mr.. Gillette.
Preventing Receipt Of Goods
Representative Flood said the block
ade he had in mind contemplated sim
ply the preventing Of the delivery Of
cargoes to the de facto government in
Mexico.
Representative Harrison of Missis-
sippi, Democrat, declared that the
American people approved the Presi-
dents course.
Mondeil Arraigns Policy
Representative Mondell of wyoming,
Republican, arraigned the Presidents
! policy, and denounced the Constitu-
| tionalists as murderous robbing brig
ands. He declared the administration
! had accepted miserable and humil-
iating" replies from Villa and Car
rama to its demands.
During all this time he added,
1.-The Huerta administration has been
preserving order and it's conduct to-
ward this government has been per-
| feet
Representative Linthicum of Mary
land, Democrat, referred to the Ma
dero assassination and asked how
any government could recognize the
President of the regigme in whose
keeping Madero had been when muir
dered.
Amendment Goes Over
Representative Bartholdt of Mis-
souri,, Republican member of the for
eign affairs committee, said the peace
of the world should not be easily dis
turbed. He offered an amendment he
had previously unsuccessfully pressed
in committee to insert in the resolu-
ton the words within the limits of
his constitutional power after the
reference to the Presidents use of
employment of armed forces. The pro-
posed amendment went over until con-
clusion of debate.
Representative Gillette of Massachu-
sets, Republican, declared the incl
dents cited by President Wilson were
trivial.
Act Of War
This is war" he said, with all its
horrors and responsibilities. History
will censure and condemn those men
who today on this miserable pretext
vote for war" r--,r.
Rep. Rogers (Mass.) Democrat, an
nounced that he stood by the President
in the international emergency.
Representative Mcdonald of Mich
igan, Progressive, supported the reso-
luton as q step to prevent war.
Against Presidents Position
Representative Gardner of Massachu-
sets, Republican, said he was willing to
vote the President full support in the
future but was not willing to subscribe
to the Presidents position in the Tampi-
Co incident. He presented a substitute
for the resolution which would empower
the President to use the armed forces of
the United States ain commanding re-
spect for the government and the flag of
the United States" without ''justifying"
the course of the President so far.
Representative Temple of Pennsylvania,
Progressive, criticized the resolution,
saving that without action by Congress
the President had full authority to use
the armed forces of the country short
of declaration of war;
Represent Stephen Of Mississippi was
the first Democrat to speak against the
resolution. He said the resolution was
declaration of war and that he did not
believe 1.-THE President had made suffi-
cient case to justify us in declaring war"
Representative Riley Of Connecticut.
who aroused storm of applause on the
Democratic side of the House by reciting
poem to the flag, spoke next.
Representative Moore Of Pennsylvania
offered an amendment providing that
nothing in the resolution shall be con-
strued as a declaration Of war"
AS the debate drew to a close, Speaker
Clark had difficulty In suppressing disor-
der.
Minority Leader Mann
Closing debate against the resolution.
Minority Leader Mann declared that he
was opposed to war because he mad
''served in this House through one war
81 have seen the results Of the Spanish
war;" he said, land have seen that no
one can foretell the results OF war. DO
not believe 1t is possible for us to have
war with Mexico and ever leave Mexico.
I think that when our troops land IN
Mexico City, when the war Is over we
! will own Mexico. 1 am not now In favor
of acquiring the responsibility for that
ownership. / know that when the time
| comes 1 will join with majority in this
House who will say the flag must never
come down that our boys planted there. -
Mr.. Mann added that he believed that
all the efforts of peace had not been ex-
| hausted in the Mexican situation. and
that the nation should not yet be plunged
| into war.
Politics Charged
Representative Henry concluded the
debate in support of the resolution. he
| e,id tbat Rem Mann had involved