New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-12-11
PROTECT LIFE
BEFORE COTTON,
URGES LODGE
Senate Asked to InveSti-
gate Hyphens and u
Boat Horrors.
SEIZURE INQUIRY
SOUGHT BY SMITH
Profits Behind Willingness to
Tolerate British Interior
ence, He Charges.
lRrom III. Tribune Bureau. |


ence, He Charges.
From The Tribune Bureau
Washington, Dec. l0.-"The body OF
an innocent child floating dead on the
waters, the victim of destruction of an
unarmed vessel, is TO me a more poig-
nant and more tragic spectacle than
an unsold bale of cotton" declared
Senator Henry Cabot Lodge, of Massa-
chusetts, on the floor of the Senate to-
day
Senator HOke Smith, OF Georgia, had
just completed set speech in favor
of an investigation of British inter
ference with American trade, so that
in the one session the Presidents for
eign policy was attacked from both
sides OF the Senate. His resolution
providing for such an investigation by
the Senate Foreign Relations Commit
tee was pending when Senator Lodge
offered an amendment which would
couple with this investigation an in
quiry into outrages committed on
American citizens in the destruction
of the Lusitanis, Gulhight, Falaba,
Arabic, Hesperian and Petrolite.
Senator Smith objected strongly to
combining the two lines of inquiry,
intimating that many of those who OBJ
jected to any action against Great
Britain's interference with American
trade were interested in the dollars
which were being made out Of the sale
of munitions.
Lodge Cites Message.
Senator Lodge also proposed in his
amendment an inquiry into the activ-
tiles of hyphenated Americans, quoting
from the message to Congress of the
President on this subject. The Lodge
amendment to the Hoke Smith resolu-
tion follows;
"Resolved, further, that the Commit
tee on Foreign Relations be also re-
ouested to investigate and report upon
the law and the facts involved in the
attacks upon or the destruction by the
belligerents of the following vesseis'
The Guifight, Falabs, Lusitanla' Ara
bic. Hesperian and the Petrolite.
"And also 70 investigate and report
upon the law and the facts involved IN
the incidents referred to by the Presl-
dent Of the United States in his annual
message when ne said, referring to GER
tain persons: They have formed plots
to destroy property, they have entered
into conspiracies against the neutrality
of the government, they have sought
70 pry into every confidential trshsac-
tion of the government in order 10
serve interests alien to our own.
81 think, Dir. President" said Sena-
tor Lodge, that neutral rights pos
sessed by us should be insisted upon
and investigated in every place where
il can be flowed that they have been
violated. but / think also that we are
equally bound to fulfil our neutral
duties rigidly and strictly, although /
have observed in some quarters that
our sense of our rights is a httle more
vivid than our sense OF our duties
81 think Americans should be pro-
tected in their lives and in their liberty
everywhere. ] do not think they ought
to be murdered in detail and obscurely
in Mexico or openly or wholesale on
the high seas.
although | am as anxious as any
one can be to care for our rights III
trade if they are violated, to me Amerl-
can lives are more important thah
American dollars. The body OF an in
nocent child floating dead on the
waters, the victim of destruction OF an
unarmed vessel, is to me more poig-
nant and a more tragic spectacle than
an unsold bale Of cotton.
Deplores Frigid Silence.
81 think if we are to investigate and
inauire, with view to action, such
deeds as these should not be omitted.
am not willing to get into a passion
over an infringement of our trade and
then allow American citizens to lose
their lives and have il go by in frigid
silence.
IL do not wish to see this country
when it looks into the book of time
close the pages on which are written
the outrages that have been committed
against American citizens in Mexico
and on the high seas, and be blind to
what is written there, and fix its whole
attention on the pages where are reck-
oned up the profit and loss accounts in
dollars.
81 think the United States stands for
something higher in the world than
mere trade and mere dollars. ! do
mot want 10 see our citizens wronped
in their property, but | think we
should also, above ell, stand for moral
ity and humanity n the dealings of
nations with each other"
Senator Lodge asked that the reso-
luton, with his amendment, lay over
for day, SO that tn amendment could
be printed, whereupon Senator Smith
agreed that both should be referred
to the Foreign Relations Committee.
81 am no. surprised" said Senator