Arizona republican., 1916-02-27

defensive armament that may be car ried, such action could not be extended to require the complete exclusion of armament That would be equivalent, 1 it is held to a change of international I law which can not be made during the course of hostilities except by general assent. There are strong mtimatiOns | that the entente allies will not consent | to such a change.
 1 The first formal reply to the Ameri- 1 can suggestion made weeks ago for l the disarming of merchant ships came | today from Italy. It will not be made | public until all the allies have respond ed, but it was learned that the docu ment was not conclusive but rather was argumentative.
 l While agitation on the subject in con- l gress has subsided for the time being l the disposition on the part of the lead CTS in teh movement for a congressional warning seemed tonight to be al | waited on. By recessing instead of ad- | iourning the senate reflected the de termination of it's leaders to prevent by preliminary tactics any discussion of the Gore resolution. Senator Gore in his statement characterized this action as rendering a policy of watchful waiting" unavoidable.
 Tn the meantime" he continued i've can watch upon the gratifying as surances coming alike from our owr istate department and from the German foreign office that an amicable adjust ment is now hoped for. There is nc purpose to stay or force the hand o1 diplomacy so long as there is no dan ger of it's involving us ill an irretrev- able situation or jeapardiZing the con trol by congress over the question O. peace and war. This end and the three principal objects sought to be accom- plshed by the passage of the reSOlu
 ton already have been accomplished by it's introduction and attending pub
 lie discussion.
 Tn the first place, American citizens
 characterized by Senator Stone as nor al treators who would recklessly trave
 on armed belligerent ships, endanger
 ing their own lives and the safety O
 the country, have been practically, i
 not officially, warned that they mus
 travel at their own peril, and Withou
 the moral or legal support of the con
 gress.
 Tn the second place, the country Ina
 been reassured that the congress wi
 not sacrifice millions of lives and bil
 lions of treasure in defense of a useles
 and unesential right that ought to b
 withdrawn with dignity rathe rtha | I,
 congress will not abdicate it's constitu
 tiOnal authority over peace and war
 favor of irresponsible adventures wh
 would, if they could, usurp the powe
 to precipitate the whole nation into
 whirlpool of blood, carnage and war
 Tn the third place it has been mad impossible for any American clique c
 cabal, it has been made impossibl } even for the purchasers of the fiv l hundred million dollar bond issue ( $ the allies, to bait Germany into a de r claration war against the Unite f States and thus compel the Unite l States to underwrite their investmer } and guarantee the continued sovereign Q ty and the intimate success of thei
 debtors.
 = Last, but not least, it is demon l strated to the country and to the worl, P it is demonstrated to those who plac | the interest of Germany above that (
 America and to those who place tn
 interest of the allies above that (
 America, that the congress places tn
 true, the vital interest of Americ;
 equally above the interest of German and the allies"