The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-04-23
CONGRESS LEADERS AGREE TO REFRAIN
 FROM COMMENTING
 ON NOTE TO BERLIN
(Centinued from Page One)

NCOnCnueu rom rage One) which, there is reason to believe, the lgovernment would gladly extricate it. l self
 | There is no widespread intimation that the President brought the mailed | fist into play against Germany for the purpose of creating any impression or producing any irrelevant effect. Never | the less, his action has not only in- stilled in certain members of Congress a belief that even greater preparations must be made. has not only caused for 1 the moment the Mexican situation to | fade from the view of the public, but has drawn a veil between the gaze of American business and the arrogant and indefensible attitude of Great Britain in reference to neutral com merce.
 SOME CAUSTIC COMMENT While there is every reason to be. lieve that Congress will do as the Pres. ident directs. there has been unusua. criticism of a caustic nature in regard to his anti-German policy and posi- tion.
 James R. Mann, the republican lead CT, declares that the President ap- peared before Congress after having already taken action for the purpose of creating a dramatic situation for I the purpose of playing politics and in the hope of precipitating in a presi- dential year struggle between the | United States and formidable foreign l power. s Senator Vardaman of Mississippi de- l clares that the President should now l in simple Justice, indite vigorous let , ter to Great Britain protesting against i that nations contemptible course "a v.,.+ l States He declares that the Presi. ] dent in taking Germany to task has 1 made glad the heart of the United 1 Kingdom and caused the greedy munf- 1 tion barons to rub their itching palms 1 in glee.
 l Joseph Cannon of Illinois in com | menting on the situation indicated ! that he was convinced that the Presi- l dents anti-German policy was adopted l for the purpose of withdrawing atten- I tion from the Mexican embroglio Many l others have declared that the Presi- l dent should speak for America and not | for all other neutral nations; that he 1 should not precipitate condition ir i which American troops might be placed ! in foreign trench to fight in behalf 1 of apother's quarrel and under the ] command of another's chief.
 THE CONSERVATIVE VIEW i Only two members of Congress have | expressed what is regarded in thi: | crisis as the conservative view. Sena 1 tor Stone of Missouri, chairman of th' Senate committee on foreign relations l declared that now is the time for al | men to refrain from expression. Sena | tor Underwood of Alabama. when urgel i to express an opinion, declared: "li ] this moment of doubt and uncertainty we must in wisdom await the develop ment of tomorrow. By word of mouti 1 we should not commit ourselves to an7 1 policy which in hcnor or through ne
 l cessity we might be compelled sool
 to abandon"
 In all probability the advice of the two l sena tors will be followed. lnasmuch as
 1 Congress cannot anticipate what the mov'
 of Germany will be. Congress hesitates tt
 take any action. and members. to express
 their real convictions. The President. Il
 1 his note. put no time limit on the i'm
 I perial government in the preparation ant
 transn ission of it's reply. He has ind
 oated, however. that three or four day'
 would suffice. and revealed his hope thu
 the crisis will have passed by the mid
 dlp of the ensuing week.
 Until that time shall have arrived, m