The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1916-03-09
HOUSE SUPPORTS
WILSON POLICY
Kills MCLernOre Resolution by
Large Majority.
VOTE STANDS ZIG TO 142

President DecisiveIy Wins His Long
Fight to Have Congress Stand Be-.
hind Him in Negotiations With Ger.
many Over Methods of Sea Warfare.
Washington, March S.-President
Wilson completely and decisively won
his long and sensational fight to com.
pei congress to acknowledge that it
stands behind him in the submarine
negotiations with Germany.
To the rallying cries of "Stand by
the president" and us it Lansing and
Wilson or Won Bernstorff and the kai
ser?" a big Democratic majority and
nearly half of the Republicans in the
house rolled up overwhelming votes
against the movement to warn Ameri
cans off the armed ships of the Euro
pean belligerents.
ton, around which the anti-adminis'
tration forces centered their fight
was tabled, in other words killed, just
as was the Gore resolution for SINH.
lar purpose in the senate last week.
From the very outset of the fight
the presidents supporters, without re.
gard to party, swept over the opposi
ton.
First Vote Victory.
On the first vote, which was a par.
lianlentasy proposition to prevent
opening the McLemore resolution tc
amendment and unlimited debate, the
administration forces carried the day
256 to $780, On that 1872 Democrats
Sc Republicans and 1 Progressive
voted to support the administration.
Twenty-one Democrats, 1872 Republic.
ans, 5 Progressives, 1 independent and
Representative London, the lone So
cialist of the house, voted against it.
This was the crucial vote of the
fight, the one point on which admins.
tration leaders we're uncertain. With
victory in hand they moved on to the
next proposition, the adoption of
special rule for four hours discussion
of the McLemore resolution
Again they carried the day, this
time 271 to 13S, and then pushed their
victory to a confusion by tabling the
McLemore resolution, 276 to 142.
In seven hours of tense, turbulent
session, in which the administration
opponents charged that the president
was cOntending for a doubtful legal
right and was shifting the RESPONSE
bility of diplomatic negotiations tc
congress, the house swayed back and
forth in the most sensational congress
sional spectacle of a decade, probably
unequaled since the eve of the declara
ticn of war on Spain.
President Feels Gratified.
President Wilson, calm and conf
dent, heard the early results of the
voting in the cabinet room at the
White House with some of the cabi:
net group about him. He told them
he was much gratifed with the sup
port Of congress.
Released from the bonds of embar.
rassment forced upon him by the dis.
sensiOns in congress, which have been
represented in foreign capitals as in.
dicating that he was making his de-
mands Oh Germany in direct opposi.
ton to the sentiment of the elected
representatives of the people, Presi
dent Wilson now stands prepared tc
go on with the submarine negotia
tons with the central powers
The next step probably will be an
answer to Germany's last proposal to
settle the Lusitania case, in which
the United States probably will ask
for such further assurances as it con.
siders sufficiently broad and complete,
to guarantee that the new submarine
campaign, which began March |, and
in which notice has been given that
all ships carrying guns will be sunk
without warning. will not endange,
Americans travelling the seas on mer.
chant vessels.
The president and his advisers re.
gard the action Of the house as a suf.
tlclent answer to reports circulated in
Berlin, sent from Washington, that
congress stood to 1 against him in
the crisis.
One of the surprises was the fail
ure of the so called Bryan influence tc
develop any appreciate strength
against the president