Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1916-03-07
Will Take Vote Sometime
This Afternoon on Arm
ed Liners
EARLY CALL TO ORDER
Republican Floor Leader Mann OPP
poses Plan of Administration
Bryan in Conference

6
Washington, March THE rule
providing for four hours debate on
the motion to table the McLemore
warning resolution was adopted by
!. the House today, 271 to 1873. One
voted present.
The President will be upneld in
the House on his armed ship issue, as
4 the first vote today supported him
by a vote of 256 to 100.
Washington, March 7.-Heralding
bitter struggle over the McLem-
ore resolution today, a stormy debate
over the merits Of the proposal to
warn American citizens to remain oil
Z Of armed belligerent merchant ships
suddenly broke loose in the House
yesterday afternoon. Last night there
was much doubt as to the ultimate
action of the lower branch of Con-
gress on the warning proposition.
Former Secretary of State Bryan
was here and conferred with a num-
!: ber of members of the House who are
in favor of warning Americans
against travelling on armed bellig-
crent vessels. He is understood to
have encouraged them in their stand
in support of the McLemore resolu-
ton.
A score Of members launched into
Z Il discussion oi the warning" resolu-
ton during the session of the House,
following speech of Representative
Gardner, of Massachusetts,, who dc
clared that the House should vote
directly on the McLemore proposition
Representative Flood. of Virginia.
chairman Of the Foreign affairs COM
mittee; Representative Sherley. Of
Kentucky; Representative Neely, OF
West Virginia, and Representative.
Adamson, of Georgia.! came to the
defense Of the Admins tratipn' and de
clared that the merits of the proposal
to warn Americans to keep off of
armed merchantmen was oHershadow
ed by the proposition, whether:or not
Congress will interfere with and en-
barrass the President; of: the United
States in his diplomatic negotiations
with foreign power.
Representative Focht, Republican
of Pennsylvania, said that members
of Congress had reports that there
was information in the archieves
of the State Department that would
make us tremble."
''If; war is as close as that he add
cd, ".and there is information avail
able to prove it, l would like to
know what patriotic citizen be he
President of the United States or
any other would withhould such in
formation. from: this: Congress"
Representative Moore, Republican
of Pennsylvania asserted that the
House did not know what the Presi-
dent wanted it to vote upon; that at
one time the President sought to
smother" the McLemore resolution
in committee and later urged that
it be reported. He insisted that the
President ought to send message
to Congress on the subject.
81 am not in favor of laying this
proposition before the House at ALL"
said Republican Floor Leader Manu.,
81 have been content to let the House
attend to it's constitutional duties and
let the President attend to his. l think
if he deemed the help of the House
necessary he would come before 1T
There is no complaint to speak about
what the President has done. Certain
ly not on the Republican, and / think
on the Democratic side. But now he is
asking that we vote on resolution
on great question. lr
81 dare say that few members
would say that the McLemore rcso.
luton expresses their sentiments.
But would also say that if the ma
jority of the members were to express
their opinions they would say that
American citizens at this time ought
rot to complicate the situation oy
h travelling on armed merchant steam
e:s."
While this discussion was going on
Representative Bailey, Of rsnnsyl