Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-02-13
SENTIMENT IN FAVOR OF SHUT.
TING OFF SHIPMENTS OF WAR
MUNITIONS GROWING.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES FOR
MOST PART slGNERs
Take View That Limited States Indi-
reetiy Aiding Allies by Permitting
Sales Of War Materials 20 Other Ma.
LONESOME Fear Nation Will Be.
come involved Thru Manufactures.
lspeclal correspondence.l

Washington, Feb. 13.-Letters and
petitions are pouring in on congress IN
behalf Of the legislation which Is pro-
posed for the cutting off Of shipments
OF war munitions to the belligerents.
Senator Hitchcock has introduced
measure with this object in the senate.
Several similar measures have been
proposed in the house. The Hitchcock
measure is pending before the senate
foreign relations committee and the
resolutions presented in the house are
before the foreign affairs committee.
Both committees have conducted hear
ings.
Floods Of Petitions Unusual.
1t has been a long time since there
mas been such food Of petitions and
letters on any single subject as on this
proposal to halt the shipment of war
munitions to the European combatants.
Eor the most part, of course, the Pc
tions and letters are signed by Ger
man-Americans. But this is not en-.
tirely the case. Large numbers Of sig
natures are those of people who take
the view the present course OF this
government, in permitting munitions
to be shipped, Is not in accordance
with the idea Of universal peace and Is
not calculated to hasten the end OF
the war. Some, too, VINO are not pro-
German, take the view that in practice
The shipment of munitions to Europe
for the allies while the Germans can
not get them in view of their isolation
by the British navy, is not in accord
with strict neutrality.
A leading member of the senate said
recently he had long since given up
the idea of answering all the letters
which came to him In opposition to
the present policy of unrestricted ship
ment of war munitions. He pointed to
a table which was piled with letters
on this subject, practically all Of them
favoring the Hitchcock resolution and
similar measures.
Arguments Advanced.
Most OF the arguments put up for
legislation against shipment of war
munitions are based on the idea that
the present policy Is unfair to Ger
many or on the idea that 1t is calcu-
lated TO prolong the war and so is adj
verse to the policy Of pacifcism. Rep
resentative Towner, of Iowa, in sup
porting his resolution to give the presi-
dent power to prevent shipments. took
cIothe the president with such power
for it's own protection. He pointed out
that under all the circumstances, with
the world aflame with war. and with
the United States in position where
it ought to look sharply to it's own in
terests, there was the possibility of this
nation being involved and 1t was I'M
wise to have vast quantities of war
munitions shipped out of the country
for use by other nations.
Neither the house committee nor
the senate committee has thus far
shown much disposition TO urge the
proposed legislation and 1t will not be
passed this session in any event. 1t is
improbable 1t will be passed at all. But
there Is no doubt that members of
congress have been compelled by the
volume Of letters they are receiving to
give the subject serious consideration.