Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-03-05
HOUSE IN TANGLE
OVER THE STATUS
Of SHIP Warning
Vote May Not Be Taken on
McLemore Resolution Un-
til Thursday.

With the "armed merchant
men" question unacted upon IN
the House and promising to
spring up again in the Senate,
Congress laid down its labors. os-
tensibly. on the knotty problem
for twenty-four hours last night.
A vote OF any kind on the Nc
Lemorc warming resolution
NAV not be had in the House be
lore Thursday.
The Senate took a recess last
evening until tomorrow, preclud-
ing action in that body on the
McCumber resolution, requesting
Americans to keep off armed
merchantmen OF belligerent pow
ers, tomorrow. owing to the par
liamentarv situation brought
about by a recess.
Await Senator Stones Address.
Senator Stone. chairman of the for
eign affairs committee, has given no
tice he will address the Senate on for
eisn relations of the country Tuesday,
and it Is expected that the armed ship
question will be debated thoroughly
before that day Is over. If an adjourn
ment is had tomorrow night, the Nc
Cumber resolution will be called up, it
was said last night. Supporters of the
President stand ready to table this
resolution, il necessary.
They are confident that they have the
situation well in hand, and that the
Senate has shown its attitude to be
strongly against any interference with
the President in diplomatic negotla-
tions on the submarine. controversy.
After pulling and hauling both ways
on the armed ship question, the House
of Representatives adjourned yesterday
afternoon with the distinct feeling that
entang icmentS.
House Is in a Tangle.
\ parliamentary tanGle worse than
that which the Senate had before it
OH Friday was only one of the reasons
why the leaders have put off a vote on
the McLemore resolution until Thurs
day. for into this grave International
issue there suddenly popped the ques-
ton Of partisan politics in Indiana. and
also Tammany Hall had small part in
the long drawn discussions of the day.
Primaries will be held in the Hoosier
state on Tuesday, and it was put right
up to the leaders that the sitting dem
ocrats from that state may be en-
barrassed. and perhaps defeated, if &C
tion is taken on the ticklish matter
of supporting the President Just now.
Therefore, by devious and intricate de-
vices, plan has been discovered
hereby vote may be postponed until
Thursday afternoon.
II also developed that Representative
Hitchin endeaVored to get the rules
committee yesterday TO report something
that would allow the House to take a
direct vote on the question of warning
Americans off armed merchantmen. and
that this was not accepted by the ad
nniStration leaders.
The parliamentary situation is a
most diihcuit matter to explain to the
mere layman who has no daily interest
told, however. after considerable dis
cussion III all corners of the House by
practically all members of the House,
II was discovered that the foreign af-
fairs committee had already tabled the
McLemore resolution. Therefore, to ask
for a special rule to table it again was
rather ludicrous matter: something
like bringing forth a ghost only to
drive 1t back again to it's lair. Some of
those opposed to the administration
were mean enough to say that when
the McLemore resolution is picked uu
it may be found to contain red hot
poker
Expected the Rule Yesterday,
When the House met yesterday many
| m embers believed the rules committee
would bring in its authorization to
| take up the McLemore resolution and
allow d request to vote on tabling it
However. the delaying tactics got fr
their early work, and the fact that
! many New York members-indeed, all
| Tammany Hall members-were out ol
town was responsible for the first de-
| termination to put off vote.
Tammany men are supposed to bt
waiting to vote against the admins
itration. This was rumored abroad ir
| the Capitol. and administration mer
got TO work to force an immediate
vote. At this time Representative
| kitchin put up his suggestion thai