The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1916-03-05

from any source. am not in accord with
his views as to the full extent Of our
right to control the methods which may
be adopted by belligerents to prosecute
their warfare to a successful issue
Might Have Deferred Action.
And 1 further believe that Congress,
representing the sentiment of the coun-
try, can very properly give expression to
its views, although as have suggested. I
feel that just as this crucial and critical
period of our diplomatic controversy we
might we'll have deferred our action I'M
til the executive department had an
nounced either an agreement or a dis
agreement
mo one questions what the rule of in
ternational law heretofore has been. The
rule Is that a merchant vessel. armed
with a stern gun. for defense only, has
the same rights and the same status as an
unarmed merchant vessel That rule
would forbid such vessel being torpedoed
or sunk without notice by a submarine.
1T is equally true that writer's OF inter-
national law agree that as all nations
are supposed to conform to International
law and practice obtaining before war,
and to make their preparations for war
in the light of such rules. and in the ex-
pectation they will be followed should
war lHtlSlOiCp Nut lhSl5ACHNt ny
neutral power that such rule be modified
during the progress of the war would be
an unneutraI act.
But the science of war may develop
SO rapidly during a great world struggle
like that now prevailing and such ext
gencies involving the very life of bel
ligerent nation may arise as would not
only justify, but necessitate that nation
to decline to follow rule adopted under
WI rravan
which are so materially modified by new
instrum entalities OF warfare as to require
a change. q.
May Be Justification.
while a neutral may do nothing to
weaken or modify the rule, there may be
justification for the belligerent in defend
ing its very existence to do so. And the
same exigency that will justify a warning
nation in the throes of a desperate en-
counter to deviate from old rules of in
ternational law ought to appeal to every
neutral nation to lessen the rigor of its
demands for conformity by belligerent
in every detail to previous international
law. And this charitableness should ap
ply with just as much force to the en-
tente powers as to the central powers.
"Our contention and insistence upon
any rule of conduct to be followed by
any belligerent ought to be founded upon
justice, not alone to ourselves, but to
the nation against which it is urged.
Our contention should be unquestionably
right, absolutely fair and everlastingly
consistent"
The House is confronted by a parlia-
mentary situation which bids fair to
outdo the tangled troubles of the Sen
ate in its vote OF Friday. 1t was dis
covered that by vote to table the Nc
LemOre resolution, the House under pres
ent conditions, would vote to do some
thing which had already been done. For
last night the McLemore resolution. as
reported by thee ommittee, rested calmly
and peacefully "on the table in the
House.
TwO-HOur Session.
A two-hour session of the Rules Com
mittee seeking a method of procedure
for dealing with the McLemore resolu-
ton on Tuesday was confronted with
the parliamentary tangle. When Repre-
sentative Flood presented the Foreign
Affairs Committee report on the McLe-
more resolution, the report was referred
by the parliamentarisn TO the House cal
endar. Some time later, however, he
discovered that under the rules of the
House the recommendation of the COM
mittee that the resolution be tabled, au-
tomatically should have sent the entire
report Ito the table" in the House, and
he changed the reference. =
Then he proceeded to notify the Rules
Committee, which was seeking an agree
ment on a special rule for consideration
OF the resolution The committee. con-
fronted with the necessity for providing
means for the House to do what had
and adjourned until 10 o'clock tomorrow
morning