Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1916-07-28
Washington Letter


rendered the country during the
session of Congress now drawing to
a close was that performed by Con-
gresham H. D. Flood, of Virginia,
Chairman of the House Of Repre-
sentatives Commute on Foreign
Affairs and the other member OF
the committee, in choking off and
preventing any discussion upon the
large number of freak bills AMI
resolutions dealing with our rela-
tons with foreign countries.
Our strained relations with Mexi-
co and with Germany and the
great war being waged in Europe
we're made the occasion by large
number of congressman for the
introduction of all sorts Of bills
and resolutions that if even dis
cussed at all would have severely
embarrassed the President and the
State Department in their neg tia
tions with foreign coun'r cs and
would have created ill feeling to-
wards the United States in the
foreign capitals.
Every session of Congress wit
nesses the introduction Of anum ,: r
of embarrassing bills and so u =
tons with our foreign affairs But
during the past twelve months
when one would naturally suppose
that our diplomatic relations would
be left solely n the hands If the
State Department and the PreSl-
dent and nothing done to hamper
them more measures relating to
our foreign policy have been in
PRODUCED than during any other
twelve months on record
To forestall any ill advised dis
cussion or action by the House
that would irritate the foreign
nations and embarrass the admin
istrations has required the constant
watchfulness of Chairman Flood.
He has remained constantly ION
the job" being on hard in the
House when the sessions opened
and remaing until adjournment
each day on the lookout for at
temps to muddle our foreign rela-
tons
Out of the hundred or more
measures calling on the State DE
partment for Inquiries as to this
and that; demanding that Presi-
dent Wilson furnish Congress with
this or that information; that 1t
be resolved that the United States
Congress views such and such &C
ton of foreign nations with alarm
pleasure or what-not. andsa host
of other measures, only one of
such measures has been taken up
by the Foreign Affairs Committee
and acted upon by Congress.
That was the McLemore resc-
luton that directed the President
to warn all Americans st stey off
armed merchant ships. At that
time President wilson had issued
practical ultimatum to Germany
that if Americans were drowned on
the high seas by reason Of the ship
being torpedoed by German sub.
marine the United States would
consider it an hostile act. So much
was said by few persons favorlng
this resolution that the impression
got abroad in Berlin that the
American people and Congress were
not behind President Wilson in
his demands. This report so weak
ened the hand of the Administra-
ton that the President advised Con-
gress of the situation and requested
that the McLemore resolution be
taken up and defeatedin order to
show Germany and the world at
large that the United States was a
unit behind it's President and that
all reports to the contrary were
misleading and unfounded.
After a conference with the
President, Mr.. Flood succeeded in
having the McLemore resolution
reported from the Committee on
Foreign Affairs by vote of II to
2, with the recommendation that
it do not pass, or that it he
tabled. This recommendation was
adopted in the House by a large
majority, giving the president a
| free hand.
Among the bills and resolutions
that have been squelched by Chair.
man Fload to prevent International
embarrassment were measures to
provide for the acquisition of
Northern Mexico by the United
States; to lay an emborgo on all
arms, ammunition and war materi-
ais; to prohibit expectation of
gasoline or other petroleum pro-
ducts; to forbid Americans to
travel abroad; a host of measures
protesting against the methods by
which the European : nations are
conducting their warfare, and on
of kindred matters.