Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1916-02-24
WARS SHADOWS
STIR CONGRESS
Members Would Avoid
Break With Berlin Over
U-Boat Issue.
WANT u. S. TO YIELD
WANT u. S. TO YIELD
Believe Armed Ship Controversy too
. Small Over Which to Risk War
Wilson is Firm.

Washington February 24-Congress
is in open revolt at President Wilson
and he will be notified that his party
in both House and Senate will not
support him in his position that Am
orleans have perfect right to travel
on armed mercha antmen in spite OF
Germany's announcement that, after
March /, such ships will be sunk with,
out warning by German submarines
The House became the storm center
of the uprising yesterday afternoon
The membership seemed to become al
most panic-stricken over the fear
that war might result because of the
administrations attitude startling
developments came quickly. They
were:
| Democrats of the Foreign Affairs
Committee held an executive session
at which Chairman Flood was re-
ouested to go to the White House and
inform the President Of the apparent
ly overwhelming sentiment in the
House in favor of resolution warn
ing Americans to stay off of armed
ships of belligerents.
No Democratic member Of the For
eign Affairs Committee was found to
be in sympathy with the Presidents
position.
The dicussion at the conference was
to the effect that in assuming such
a position, the administration ran the
risk of way with Germany COM
paratively technical issue. Members
expressed themselves as believing
that neither Congress nor the coun-
try would approve Of war over such
an issue.
A responsible leader of the House
asserted that even a partial canvass
Developed that the lower body viii
vote 3 or to l for resolution OF
warning and that the vote will
come within forty-eight hours-,ln-
less one Of the two things shall hap
pen; first. the President must yield
in his present position, or there must
be postponement of the date upon
which the new German submarine
policy shall become effective. A post
ponement until April !, it is argued,
might save the situation in Congress.
Democratic leaders anXiously con-
ferred during the afternoon. A men,
ber of many years experience IN the
House asserted that not since the
Spanish war crisis has there been
such a feeling of uneasiness and ten
SeneSs.
Majority Leader Kitchin was in
frequent conference with members
of the Foreign Affairs Committee.
Later he saw Speaker Clark.
Meanwhile, members of the House
went over to the Senate side and
there ascrtained that Senator Stone
reflected the uneasiness felt in thu
House over the dire possibilities OF
the Presidents position.
There was increasing pressure up
on Chairman Flood, Of the Foreign
Affairs Committee, for the immediate
consideration of the McLemore reso
lution-or some similar resolution
warning American to avoid the us'
of armed merchantmen of the belllg
crent nations.
| Chairman Flood, at heart In sym
pathy with the purport of this reso
luton, although seeking not to breaE
with the President, called his Demo
cratic colleagues together to see
it were possible to stave Oft Tor
time the rising tide of antagonlsm e
policy which the majority Of mem
hers seemed to think might lea
this country into war.
r Within a few minutes after TN
: Democrats of the committee met
: became apparent that at last the
f were about to break with the Pres]
< dent. The opinion was expressed a
the conference that the United State
= will not pursue a cowardly atyltud
i in dealing with Germany over IN
. submarine, but that the preser
question is not of sufficient importanc
10 plunge this country into wal