The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-08
CRITICIZES GARDNER

SO OAPiCoS It's real
 CRITICIZES GARDNER
 He attacked MT. Gardner, saying:
 When he takes the stand he does
 today a thing which lays himself Iia a-
 b1e to certain utterances You are unwilling to submit to a
 declaration of war, aud the responsf- bility is now on you to defeat the pre-
 vious question:" he shouted to a thun- derous outburst of applause Representative Fitzgerald democrat of New York, announced that he would vote not to table the McLemore reso- 1ution. He desired "to vote for reso- lution that expresses the real senti- ment of the House ,hat Americans shall refrain from travelling on the mer- chant ships of belligerents." He said the democratic rule was emil nently fair.
 "I declare" Mir. Fitzgerald said, that America should not go to war because of foolhardy or mercinary Americans who insist upon going on belligerent ships"
 DEFEND THE FLAG, SAYS FARR q shall vote to table the McLemore resolution in defense of that flag declared Representative Farr, repub- lican of Pennsylvania, pointing to the American flag. behind the speaker S chair '"To vote for the resolution would be to put yellow streak in that flag"
 Representative Graham of Pennsyl- vania, republican, declared. Today I don't want to be pro-Ger-
 man, pro-Austrian or pro-anything. I want to be only a pro-ponent American to stand up and face the world for it's rights
 The "rebeT' yell rang out from the democratic side.
 
 lican Leader Mann said, the President desires our opinions on the subject oi American citizens travelling on armed ves- sels of belligerent nations. We express no opinion on the subject by laying the McLemore resolution on the table unless such an action be construed as an in- vitation to travel. I am not in favor o1 extending any such invitation, which might bring us into international com. plications.
 MEET ISSUE FAIRLY "I would not seek to offer my owr opinion in a case like th:s, but wher the President asks for it, it is our duty to meet the question fairly and squarely and if we believe American citizens under ordinary circumstances ought not to in volve this country in war by travel ing on armed merchant vessels, we ought to say so, and then let the President do as he sees fit.
 we have not sought to annoy the Pres. ident, but when he asks us for oul opinion let us tell him frankly we dc rot desire complications which would lead to war"
 Representative Garrett of Tennessee democrat, said he did not support the resolution because the action of the House was demanded by Woodrow Will son, the man, Woodrow Wilson, tn, titular head of his party, but because i
 was asked by the President of the nation HEFLIN FOR WILSON Speaking for the administration, Repre- sentative Heflin of Alabama congratu lated some of the republicans for stand 1 ing with the President. q am glad to see men big enough to break away from their leader ant stand with the President and against tn, Kaiser said MT. Hefln. ''It is Lansing
 and Wilson or Won Bernstorff and tn, Kaiser'
 Appealing to the south, Hr Heflir asked where she stood. Representative Candler of Mississippi shouted that she stood solidly for the President. Representative Decker of Missouri, z democrat, stirred the House to a higf pitch in a speech marked by his declara tion that the country was threatened by war over a doubtful legal right. ''In Germany" shouted MT Decker I 'the question is, Will you stand by tn, 1 Kaiser?' In England it IS, Will vol l stand by the King?' In Russia it is, Wil | you stand by the Czar?' If war comes we will all stand by the President, bu this government. thank God, Is a re public and a representative one, and tt the insinuating temper of the south wt will say we will stand by the people. "We are willing to go to war for Amer ican rights, but not for a doubtful lega right"
 Representative Shackelford of Missouri urged the tabling of the resolution.