The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1915-12-14
Be|IgeTents' Acts
Denounced
m Senate
senator Hoke Smith Wants British
trade Interference Stopped; Lodge
Proposes Probe Of the Submarine
Attacks

Washington, Dec. 1O.-The long
expected storm in Congress over the
administration conduct OF the de.
iense for American rights on the seas
broke today when Senator Hoke
smith, Democrat, demanded an in
vestigation of Great Britain's inter.
ferences with neutral trade and Sen.
ator Lodge, Republican, replied with
demand that any investigation in
clude the loss of American lives.
The body of an innocent child,
floating dead on the water the victim
of destruction of an unarmed vessel
Is to me more poignant and more
tragic spectacle than an unsold bale
of cotton" declared the Massachus.
etts senator.
To Senator Smiths resolution for
an investigation Of trade interference.
es, Senator Lodge VINO is the rank
ing minority member Of the foreign
relations committee, offered an
amendment for investigation of the
law and the facts In the submarine
attacks on the Lusitania, Falaba, He
sperian, Arabic, Gulfight and Anco-
ma, and of the plots and conspiracies
against the neutrality of the United
States to which President Wilson re-
ferred in unmeasured terms in his
address to Congress recently.
Reformed to Committee
Both resolutions were referred to
the foreign relations committee, on
which further action will depend
Their introduction, however has serv-
ed to bring out the first debate of
the session of a subject to which all
minds had turned.
Senators on both sides of the cham
Der were drawn into the discussion
which was precipitated by vigorous
speech by Senator Smith in support
of his resolution. He declared that
protests by the American state de-
partment had been met by increased
lawlessness and trampling upon neu-
trail rights.
"The United States with other ma
lions should demand from Great
Britain" the senator said, that dis
be necessary for the United States
and other neutrals to let Great Bri-
tain understand that no word or act
will be omitted to enforce their
rights"
British merchants and shippers
are prohting greatly he asserted by
exporting the very character of goods
seized when shipped from the Unit
ed States to other neutral European
ports.
Considers Britain's Acts lnexcusable
Senator Smith denied that Great
Britain could be excused on the
ground the United States mad acted
illegally and improperly in similar
way in the civil war.
Remarking that the relations be-
tween the United States and Great
Britain had been growing closer FOR
hundred years the senator added:
But we are not dependency OF
Great Britain"
Germany too, he said, always had
been a friend of the United States
that country only second to their
own.
az wish to extend the scope Of the
resolution by my amendment" said
Senator Lodge as the Georgia sena'
tor concluded, because If we are to
take up this question of the violation
OF our rights, / want to put it not
on the lowest ground alone, but on
the highest ground as well. ! think
II Is Of great importance that we
should vindicate our rights as neu
trail in trade il those rights have been
violated but think 1t is far more
important that we should extend pro
lection and assure security to Ameri
can citizens wherever they rightfully
are for do not believe that any
government can long retain the re
spect of its own people If 1t does MOI
Give them the protection to whicf
thew are entitled.