Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-03-03
GORE CHARGES WILSON IA VORS WAR
COngreSS SmGrts
Under Lash of
President Wilson
ny RALPH SMITH.

/ international relations appeared more
I confused today, and there is no escaping
the conclusion that the presidents un'
/ compromising attitude has aroused a
/ threatening resentment in the house
/ that was not apparent yesterday. The
/ Page substitute for the McLemore reso-
/ luton warning Americans of armed
merchantmen is unsatisfactory to Mr..
I Wilson. He is unwilling 10 compromise
on a vote OF confidence. or even an in
\ dorsement OF his exercise of a constitu-
I tional prerogative; he demands a show
/ down on the warning resolution.
! Congress met this noon with the
members smarting under the presidents
/ lash: the rank and file of the house
membership as well as leaders were
wholly undecided as TO what form of
/ resolution will be adopted, or defeated
| to give President Wilson the indorse-
ment he demands.
II is the we'll considered belief here
| that in the long run, the president will
| get some form of Endorsement The
/ Page substitute would have had compar-
| atively easy sailing, it is thought. but
the presidents determination, which is
| denounced as "obstinacy" by his critics
and opponents, makes it's adoption very
much in doubt. if not entirely out of the
/ question.
Democrats and. Republicans who as
sert stoutly that they want to vote for
a warning resolution admit that in a
/ grave international situation such as
| now confronts the nation they cannot
| flout the nations head Patriotism in
| spires this sacriicial view, they say.
HOUSE MARKING TIME.
Today the house leaders are marking
time and seeking delay, and this atti-
| tude is accompanied by confusion maxi
ing it the chief feature of the situation.
/ The foreign affairs committee wherein
action must originate, is without a pro-
/ gramme of procedure. A meeting that
was to have been held this morning at
| 10 o'clock was deferred until 8 o'clock,
/ to afford Chairman Flood opportunity
/ for conference with the president, but
/ instead there was a telephone conyersa-
/ ton.
The positions of the president and the
/ foreign affairs committee respectfully,
have been reversed entirely within the
week. When clamor for the passage of
/ a warning resolution originated in con-
Il
posed to act favorably on the resolution,
/ the president opposed action and
saueIched il. Now Mr.. Wilson is de-
handing action and the committee hesi-
| tates.
| The White House is applying every
pressure at it's command to force action
in congress, and there would be COM
paratively small difficulty in securing
/ action if the president. was not so in
I Of action.
/ He wants a resolution of warning de-
/ feated, and a warning, it may be re-
/ peated, is the pet idea of a great
| number of congress. To fatty defeat
/ such a resolution means stultlhcatlon
| for many of them, and means, moreover
all sorts of political difficulties. This
applies alike to Democrats and Republic
cans who number among their constitu-
ents thousands of COMMUNICATIONS.
Talk in the house turned to the adop-
ton of a double-barrellel resolution
somewhat after the fashion of the COM
promise suggested by Judge Adamson
/ of Georgia; that is, a resolution, one
half of which would contain an express
/ sion of confidence in the president ana
/ n recognition of his constitutional pre-
negative: the other half warning Amerl-
| cans against sailing on armed merchant
men as a means of minimizing the dlplo-
matte difficulties of the president
NO COMPROMISE.
President Wilson will not be satisfied
with any sort of resolution, unless ne
changes his position.
/ The strength of the president IN MS
present fight with congress not only
/ I.es in the fact that it is inconceiVaole
that the legislative branch shall upset
/ his whole foreign policy, but in the
! further fact that the president knows
exactly what he wants, while congress
/ is all at sea concerning what 1t wants.
Mr.. Wilson has a definite program and
/ congress has none.
/ No better illustration of this can be
/ found than in the existence of four diff
4 ferent proDosItions in the house, each
! ceiling for a distinct form of legisla-
4 tive action. They all bear on the armed
I merchant ship issue. One is simple
i bill. requiring executive action If 1t
should pass. Another is joint resolu-
| ton also requiring executive action.
third is a concurrant resolution requir-
ing action by both houses, but none by
/ the president. The fourth is merely a
house resolution, which does not even
20 to the senate The latter is the Nc
/ Lemore production.
The three resolutions all express a
warning to Americans not to travel on
armed merchant vessels, while the bill
/ prohibits the issuance of passports TO
Americans intending to make such voy-
ages. The diversity of method By
which members of the house seek TO
accomplish one thing greatly weakens
/ them in their fight with the presi-
I dent who has a special plan for accom-
plishing another thing.
PARTY POLITICS.
Party politics enter into the situa-
! lion from various angles. For instance,
eleven of the thirteen representatives
from Indiana are Democrats and they
all want to stand by the president, if
! il comes TO a showdown. But they want
/ to rostpone the showdown, because on
/ TUESDAY next the Indiana primaries are
neld and they do not want to commit
themselves before that date. There is
large pro-German element in their
state and they are fearful of its po-
/ Iitical lineup.
The position of the Republicans ia
the house is an unknown quantity. II
/ is very evident that there is a large
proportion of Republicans who are
4 against the president. Last week they
would have rallied behind Minority
/ Leader Mann and helped to defeat the
/ proposal to warn Americans off ships.
Eut they now believe that the presi-
dent should have let sleeping dogs lie,
and not have stirred them up again BY