The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1917-03-22
| XP[CI CONGRESS
10 DECLARE WAR
ON APRIL z
Extra Session Should Also Vote Big
Appropriation for Defence
WAR LOOKED FOR IN GERMANY
Berlin Dispatches State That Decla-
ration is Expected Within
48 Hours.

Washington, March 22-When the
president addresses Congress on
April he is expected to show how a
state Of war actually has existed for
| some time because of the unlawful
aggressions of German submarines.
| Congress is expected formally to
| declare state of war existing, vote
a large sum, probably s500,000000.
| tor national defense, and clothe the
| president with authority to use the
armed forces of the United States, as
| II empowered President Mckinley to
| deal with the menace Of Spain in 1898
| Such action would not be declara-
| ton Of war except in a technical
sense and whether the United States
! and Germany actually go to war in
| the fullest acceptation OF the term
will depend on what the imperial
government does before Congress is
| assembled or after it acts.
Dispatches from abroad last night
declaring that the German govern
| ment expected state of war within
the next 4S hours placed an ominous
aspect on the situation.
Much TO change the presidents
present intentions Of the course of the
government in the crisis may develop
| before April g The first American
armed ships will by that time have
reached the war zone. The ruthless
destruction of one of them unques-
tionably would be an act of war On
the other hand. sinking of a subma
rine by one OF the armed merchant
men probably would be met as an act
OF war BY Germany. Even the arming
of American ships with the avowed
purpose OF defending them against
U-boats may be declared such an act.
In any OF these events practically
nothing would remain except for Con.
,gress to acknowledge state of war
existing from certain specified date
probably last Sunday, when three
American ships were sunk with loss
of life. The next 10 days until Con-
gress meets will be days OF tense
anxiety, of eager waiting and watch
ing, fraught with possibilities of tre-
mendous consequences to the United
States.
President Wilson and his advisers
in the cabinet and in Congress have
no intention that war shall be de-
clared by the United States. BY the
hostile acts of German submarines
they believe the imperial German gov
ernment is actually making war on
| the United States and that it shall
| be recognized as such a state. To
| meet such condition the armed
| forces of the country and all the ma
tional resources are to be put in a
state of readiness. Then, whether
the nation shall enter the war in its
full sense viii depend upon how much
further Germany carries her acts OF
aggression.
In laying the whole situation before
Congress the president is expected to
detail fully the warlike acts Of Ger
many against the United States and
to pay particular attention to the fu
ture of the American government as
the great conflict draws to a close.
It is not improbable he will ask
| Congress to declare a state OF war
existing, although there Is some indi
| cation that he may only outline the
situation fully and leave to Congress
| the action which is accepted as un-
| avoidable. So much can develop,
however. before Congress assemblies,
| that the president is keeping his
plans in tentative form. Germany,
| by her acts in the interim, may throw
all the plans awry and accept the
onus OF having forced the war.
Meanwhile every preparation for
putting forward the nations defenses
in condition to meet state Of war
are going forward The principal ac-
| tivities center in the navy, where
far-reaching preparations are being
, carried on to deal with the subma-
| rine menace, whether it Is to be met
| in the war zone about the British
coasts or at the gates of American
cities.
The arIny's plans are in less
definite state because Of the I'M
| certainty as to what part it will be
called upon to play General staff
plans TO fit several contingencies have
been worked out, however, and every
step that can be taken In the present
situation has been taken. Last night
Secretary Baker conferred with the
president but the details they dis.
cussed were not revealed.
The possibility of Germany extend
ing submarine operations to the
Atlantic seaboard has not been under
estimated, but 1t Is recognized that
when she extends her warfare from
the comparatively limited barred
zone to the 5000 miles OF broad
! Atlantic she so effectively weakens
her starvation blockade of England