Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1916-01-07
WILSON is ADVISED TO GO
SLOWLY IN PRESENT CRISIS
President Should Heed Interest Of
100000 Rather Than a "Thou-
sAnd Reckless Citizens Who
Travel on 6eIligerent Ships"
Says Jones.

were broken IN the senate ana the SeS'
sion was enlivened by debate over the
government neutrality policy, exports
Of war munitions, and travel by Ameri-
cans on ships owned by belligerents. j;
Senator Jones of Washington, Re-
publican, read newspaper editorial
urging American citizens to keep off
belligerent ships and advising the !;
President to proceed slowly in the
present crisis, needing the interest Of !.
90 ,000, 900 rather than that Of a thou
sand reckless, inconsiderate and I'M !
patriotic citizens who insist on travel i,
Ing on belligereut Ships"
Nelson Starts Fray.
Senator Nelson Of Minnesota then :
started the fray. He aroused Senator
O'Gorman of New York, Democrat, by !,
asking whether Senator Jones regard
ed Consul McNeely unpatriotic because
he sailed for his post on the Persia. ,
"The ship that carried the peace
party" Senator Nelson declared, twas
as liable to be torpedoed as any
other"
The New York senator explained
that McNeely had declined to heed
Consul General SINNERS advice to
sail on Dutch ship and blazed the
way to general debate on the position
of the United States in the war.
There was no division along party
lines. Senator Works Of California,
Republican, asserted that the govern
ment of the United States was hyro-
critically" claiming to be neutral when
1t was in fact participating in the war
through the sale of munitions.
Embargo "Grossly. unneutral."
Senator Lodge, ranking Republican
member of the foreign relations COM
mittee, declared that to place an en-
barge on arms now. would be, worth
more to Germany than a million men,
that it would be a grossly :unneutral
act" and, in fact, would make the
United States the ally of Germany.
Senator O'Gorman and Senator
Hitchcock of Nebraska, both Demo
Gratis, urged the ACCESSIBILITY Of an
embargo on munitions.
Asserting at the outset that the
government shared responsibility for
deaths of Americans on the Lusitania,
Senator Works said:
/ ''The government knew that the Luz
sitania was loaded to the guards
with ammunition and explosives. Pas
sengers, in spite of this, were permit
ted to travel on the vessel. The gov
eminent itself, in full knowledge that
the ship carried munitions of war, is
morally responsible for the deaths Of
our citizens"
- Declares U. s. In War.
When Senator Works declared tho
United States actually was participate
ing in the war by the sale Of mum.
tions, Senator Reed, Democrat, inter.
rupted to ask:
" Does the senator not know that
the first loan placed IN this country
after the war began was loan of
$25,000,000 to Germany and that the
loan was made without protest from
him or any other citf1en? Does the
senator not know that Germany pro.
cured arms in this country as long as
it was possible for her to get them?"
"That may all be true" Senator,
Works replied, ''but that does not a.
tor the situation"
Stone Ends Debate. :.
Senator Stone, chairman Of the
foreign relations committee ended the
debate pointing out that the debate
was out of order and ended it by NOV.
in3 an executive session
II have not objected up to. this
time" he explained. II believed it
was very we'll to let it run q little
while by way of feeling out and get-
ting an index to the Senate