Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-06-23

| After cabinet meeting that lasted
nearly two hours Secretary Lansing
said there had been no cnanse III tue
Mexican situation, and that com
plete report on the SdiiiAaA
still was awaited.
| Immediate action on his resolution
authorizing the President 10 oraII nv
the federal service national guar rosIheh
Wiling to take the oath under the new
army law was asked in the House to-
dav by Chairman Hay OF the military
committee At the same time ne o.
fered an amendment to declare Una.
the emergency for the draIt nov to
| instead of leaving the question 10 De
| determined by the President
| The amendment changed the resoiu-
tion by the direct declaration tnat IN
| the opinion of the Congress OF the
I7nited states an emergency now exists
which demands the use of troops IN ad-
dition to the regular army OF tne
| United States. and that the Fresiaea. ~
be and he is hereby authorized. 10 uraIt
the National Guard. The resolution
| formerly read that whenever in his
opinion an emergency exists whlch de-
mands the use of the troops in addition
to the regular army of the United
States. the President is authorized 10
draft the National Guard.
Chairman Hay, drawn out by COLO
ouies with Republican Leader Mann
and other members. announced TO the
House that the resolution does not con-
mere fact of the introduction or the
resolution handed to me by the war
Department shows that IN the opinion
of the executive the emergency uoes
exist. and that this resolution is abso-
lutely necessary to meet the emer-
gency.
Definite Step Necessary.
REPRESENTATIVE Mann of Illinois in
sisted that the time has arrived when
a definite step must be taken in re-
gard to Mexican affairs:
"The theory of the Hay-Chamberlain
act" he said, was to make the Ma
tional Guard our main reliance. and ii
we are to maintain the position we
have taken with regard to Mexico 1T is
time TO nut that act into effect. If the
National Guard is to be our main re-
lance we must call upon it now.
representative Chiperfield of Illinois,
himself a national guardsman. sald
that in his opinion the Hay resolution
should be SO amended as to make the
term of the service or natlonal Suaros-
men in this emergency a matter OF
definite limitations: ar.
Gas it is now worded." he said. tine
President can say the emergency exists
for one year or five years or forever,
and the national guardsmen wouio
have to stay in the ranks as long as
that By this resolution you are wip-
inc out the militia of the United States,
mniess YOU give the national guards
men a definite term in the regular
service.
Calls for Explanation.
Representative Butler of Pennsyl-
vania. who reminded the House that
he had been in Congress in the days
nreceding the Spanish war and could
remember perfectly the various steps
taken at that time, criticised the fact
that 'the language of the Hay resolu-
ton makes the President the sole judge
of this situation.
He continued 1.-THE President may un-
derstand that an emergency exists, but
how do we know it? How does Con-
press know it? This resolution asks
us to give the President the authority
to decide the thing for himself. This
NAV mean the destruction of life and
property, and it may mean war for
years to come. So why doesn't the
President make known to US the rea-
sons why he wants this resolution i
adopted"
"A piece of unbaked legislation" is |
what Representative Huddleston. a |
democrat Of Alabama. termed the Hay |
resolution. Representative Walsh of !
Massachusetts, offered an amendment /
slightly changing the wording of the |
Hay resolution. and said that the |
President should lay before Congress !
all the facts in regard to Mexico. in
cluding all that has preceded the pres