The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-03
administrations and all par

people, all administrations and all par ties' said he 'when men come to the parting of the ways, to unavoidable con- flict when each must stand as best he may for that which he takes to be brave, just and patriotic. That time I think has come for you and for me concerning the proposition that now faces us.
 "The time has come when the question states itself this way:
 Snail I acclaim America first or shall I acclaim Deutschland uber Alles?'
 q have the highest contempt for one who would inject politics in this situa- ton. Politicians looking for racial vote of some kind to be gained from this are not only poor Americans, but poor politicians.
 "The moment a factional element par ticipating in the government of the Uni ted States shall implant in themselves an idea of pleasing a racial element, that moment they will consolidate against them every other racial element and all that great element of citizens who are just Americans, without frill, without politics, and without hyphens or anything else They have no right to be here.
 The citizenship of this country is de- rived from every race under the sun. We are not Irish; not Germans; not English; not Latins; not Russians; not French We are here, if we have the right to say it, to participate in American gov ernment, simply as Americans.
 Therefore, American ideals and every thing that responds to the noblest in America can be relied upon to push aside any man whose idea of politics consists of pleasing some racial prejudice.
 WITH THE PRESIDENT
 ''The initiative in foreign relations lies with the executive and Congress ought not to attempt to assume the initiative.
 Through resolutions and in speeches and whispers the chief magistrate has been prodded and nagged and goaded with dares. To do what? To surrender the initiative the constitution places within him and let Congress take the lead in foreign relations
 ssNow, the patience of very patient man has been exhausted. 'No,' he says, You have given comfort to foreign na- tions, you have given them contempt for your own government, you hava weakened my hand; now I want show down..
 And I believe it will be show up am through.
 You have nagged ana prodded him until he has picked up the gauntlet and says: If the patriotism of Congress IS behind me. let's find it out; and if 1t is not behind me, let's find that out. If l am to be hamstrung, sust kill me as a negotiator and have done If am help less say so and let me and the people know it. You already have done as much harm as you could do by adopting the resolution have pleaded with you not to go on, and in spite of all you have kept it up. Therefore, without evasion, I say now let's bring this to an issue. Bring on your war resolutions and your other resolution, and ret a motion be made to table them.
 NO NEW DOCTRINE "The President has offered no new doc trien. The propositio= of armed mer- chantmen is a principle recognized in the war with Spain and in the Civil war. What Germany wants to do; what she wants us to do, is to cnange the inter- national law, and she is trying to make us a particeps criminis.
 "yrhe only danger of war today, the only cloud on the horizon comes from the fact that the politicians nave not let the executive alone and that some of you must seek to create the impression that the American people are not behind the American government and to your action alone is due the last position taken by the Germans"
 In the House now the problem admin istration leaders are sacing is to frame a warning resolution that the foreign af-