Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-03-03
SENATE STIRRED BY
|. MOST SENSATIONAL
| DEBATE OF SESSION
Stone and Others Deny Wilson
Said War With Germany
Might Not Be undesirable
and Would Hasten End"
(By Associated Press. }


ship issue suddenly blazed up in the
senate today with the most sensational
debate of the session in which Senator
| Gore, DEMOCRAT, and author of res
Olution to warn Americans off bellig-
erent vessels, repeated what he char
acterized as a report that President
Wilson had told certain congress lead
ers that war between the United States
and Germany might not be undesirabl.
and might result in advancing civili-
zation by bringing about the end OF
the European war by mid-summer."Se
Chairman Stone, of the foreign res
lations committee, denied that the pres
ident ever had expressed any such sen-
timent in his hearing and Senator
James, another administration leader.
demanded to know why Senator Gore
had not sought to confirm the report
from the president himself. -.
Senator Gore responded that he had
| hoped the report was untrue that he
bad repeated it only as a report sur
rounded by circumstance which gave it
credence, in his opinion, but that he
was glad to hear it denied.
The storm broke in the senate unex-
pecte6Iy when Senator Stone, announce
ing that he was not in accord with the
presidents demand for a defeat of fhe
larmed ship resolutions, proposed a means
TO let the Gore resolution come 20 a
vote, and Senator James announced the
administration forces had the votes to
Gefeat it, es
PRESIDENT DEFENDED.
Senator Williams, of Mississippi. spoke
vigorously in support Of the president,
as did Senator Lodge. the ranking Re
publican of the foreign relations COM
mittee.
The debate ended without action and
the senate passed to other business With.
the prospect of taking up the Gore reso-'
luton at an early hour tomorrow.
Administration forces faced by de-
lay in the house, turned today to the
senate to carry out President Wilson's
demand for the defeat of resolutions
warning American off armed ships tof
European belligerents. Ns--
Chairman Stone, of the foreign reia-
tons committee, announcing openly
from the floor that he was not in &C
cord with the president on the issue.
proposed, however, that the senate take
an adjournment instead of another re-
cess and thereby get into new legisla-
tive day, relieving the parliamentary
situation which thus far has held Sem
ator Cores resolution from coming to a
vote.
His action was taken after confer
ence of administration leaders VINO We're
satisfied they had the votes to defeat the
Gore resolution and demonstrate to
Germany that the discussions against
the presidents foreign policy do not
he of
1T has been decided to bring the
question up for action as soon as posi-
BILE, but probably not today said Sena-
tor James, of Kentucky, one of the adj
ministration supporters. I'VE have gotg
the votes in the senate to smash it"
Senator Stone, at the outset of his
proposal, made a statement of the inter-
national situation as he understood it,
Senator Stone declared it was hoped
something could be done at once to
bring the president and congress more
closely in accord, and that he was franz
ing a substitute for all pending resolu-
tons.
LODGE WITH STONE
Senator Lodge of Massachusetts,
ranking Republican member of the for
eign relations committee declared he
was in accord with Senator Stones
desire for prompt action, and he agreed
that the issue was more important than
anything else before congress.
President Wilson and Republican.
Leader Mann, of the house, will discuss
the attitude of Republicans on the armed
ship issue at o'clock this afternoon at
the presidents request. The president
intends to place the issue squarely be-
fore the Republicans in an effort to
gain their support.
"A sharp issue has been defined be-
tween Germany and Great Britain as
to the status of armed merchantmen"
said Senator Stone. Germany contends
that armed merchant vessels are the
equivalent of auxiliary war vessels and
has announced her policy to be, that af-
ter March 1, armed merchantmen would
be regarded as warships and subject to
the rules of war. ss
ION the other hand Great Britain con-
tends that under international Law.
merchantmen have the right to be
armed for defensive purposes and thar
armed merchantmen are entitled under
the law to the same immunity as uT-
armed ships, without regard 10 cargo.
She has announced her intention to car
Ty out that policy.
THAT is the issue between these tMo
governments.
mo-. where does the United States
come in? In this way. In both persist
in these courses, neither yielding 20
each other. nor to the opportunities OF
neutral nations, and if Germany at
tacks an armed merchantmen and any
American citizen is injured the ques=
ton is presented to this government,
what our attitude would be. If no
American citizens were on board We
would have no cause to Interfere, unless
we proceeded on the altruiStic theory
of obligations of humanity.
ITO my mind this emergency isr:of
high Importance. The president, sens-
tors and representatives should SPEAK
with each other and with the country,
free from political bias.
HEARTS ON SLEEVES.
I'VE should wear our hearts on OBI
sleeves so we may know our positions
exactly.
1.-The presidents attitude is this: He
the contention that belligerent