Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-03-01

would vote against a warning reSolu-
ton.
Frame Measure
House leaders to-day drafted for
consideration of the House a measure
proposing that Congress express it's
confidence in the Presidents handling
or the armed merchantmen contro-
versy and recognize that 1t is not a
matter of legislation but of executive
concern.
Senators Stone, Kern, Overman,
Martin, Swanson and Gore, the latter
author of Senate warning resolution
held a brief conference at the con-
clusion of which it was agreed that
nothing should be done in the Senate
to-day.
President Wilson reiterated to the
leaders that while dissensions in the
American Congress over the question
of warning Americans not to travel on
the armed ships of the European bel
hgerents was being made industrious
use of in foreign capitals" and being
pictured as evidence that the country
does not support the President in his
stand for the observance of the laws
or nations and humanity, his nego=
tiations with Germany are embar-
raised, and, in fact, cannot be con-
tinued.
Confident that they can beat all
antiadministration resolutions by
heavy vote, the President and the lead
ers framed plans to bring them out
first on the floor of the House, where
they plan to defeat them.
The President paved the way for his
action last night and incidentally sur
prised Congress by calling on Acting
Chairman Pou, of the House rules
committee, to provide the parliament
tary machinery for immediate consid-
Grafton of the resolutions on the floor.
Inasmuch as the resolutions have been
held in the House foreign affairs COM
mittee by main force of the admins
tration leaders at the request of the
President because of fears for the re-
suits if they were allowed to come out
for vote, the Presidents action, taken
without consultation with the lead
ers, caused no little amaZement.
At to-day's conference, however, to
which the President summoned Chair
men Stone and Flood. of the Senate
and House committees dealing with
foreign affairs and Senator Kern, the
Democratic floor leader, he explained
his purposes fully.
After the President, Senators Kern
and Stone and Representative Flood
had been in conference for an hour,
Speaker Clark and Majority Leader
Kitchin, of the House, were sum-
fort was being made to decide on the
form Of action Congress should take.
Form Undetermined
The conference agreed that in def
erence to the wishes of President Will
son, vote would be taken in the
near future in both Senate and House
on resolutions warning Americans to
keep off the armed ships, but the form
in which the resolutions will be pre-
sented will be determined later. I'M
mediately after the conference Chair
F.,a a. = 49, 4
called his committee together to
frame a resolution.
The President made it clear that
he did not want vote on a resolution
expressing support of his conduct of
the diplomatic controversy and as a
result of his position the vote will be
taken on a resolution warning Ameri-
cans off armed ships Administration
forces are sure they can beat IT,
The President also discussed the
question with Acting Chairman Pou
of the rules committee. The Presi-
dent asked that as soon as the House
Foreign Affairs committee had pre-
pared its resolution the rules COM
mittee bring in rule for discussion
and a vote on the floor.
At the conclusion OF the conference
the leaders hurried back to the Capt.
tol. 1t was almost certain that the
parliamentary situation in both
houses would prevent a vote coming
up to-day The President explained
to the leaders that he had written to
the rules committee not because he
was dissatisfied with any action of the
foreign affairs committee. but because
he thought it expedient as he realized
that special rule would necessary to
provide for immediate constitution.
Chairman Flood after some confer
ence at the Capitol said that after he
had drafted a resolution ne would
confer WITH tho President on it's exact
form before it was presented to the
House.
Speaker Clark and Majority Leader