Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-02-18
POWER TO ACT MAY
Be GIVEN PRESIDENT
Mr.. Wilson, at Capitol, Dis
cusses AdvisabiIity of Asking
Congress for Authority.
STILL WOULD AVERT WAR

President Wilson discussed with sena
tors at the Capitol yesterday afternoon
| the advisability of going before Con-
gress before the close of the present
session to ask that he be given au-
thority to protect American lives ano
property from German submarines.
While it was said following these con-
ferences that the President had made
no definite plans for appearing before
joint session of Congress for this pur-
pose, it also was said that the plan ap-
peared to be the part of wisdom. for
if Congress should depart from Wash
ington and an emergency arise in which
the President should feel called upon
to make such request of Congress II
would be impossible to assemble the
new Congress with any degree of speed
for this purpose.
Powers Likely to Be Conferred.
1t was intimated that should a joint
resolution be framed granting the
President such powers they would be
similar to those given him by Con-
gress during the Mexican crisis A fea-
ture of the resolution, it was said, like
ly would be authorization to expend
large sums of money for the purpose OF
protecting Americans. The President
it was said, had not made up his mind
in regard to the matter of appearing
before Congress to make such re-
quest.
The suggestion was made that Con-
gress might be asked to pass broad
resolution authorizing the President to
take any measures necessary Tor the
protection of American rights, and
avoiding specific StipulationS as to how
the protection should be afforded. 1t
was indicated that Mr.. Wilson remain
ed as anxious as ever to avoid war, and
that he gave no suggestion that dec
laration of war, which Congress alone
can make, is even considered by him at
present in connection with the possi-
bility of a request for additional au-
thority.
Further Action Deemed Inevitable.
The general feeling here has been
that Germany's submarine campaign,
sooner or later. will lead inevitably to
such violation of American rights as
will require the further action fore
cast by the President In his address to
Congress two weeks ago. The Presi-
dent Is understood to feel. however,
that when the time comes, the solution
outlined in that address should be fol-
lowed out literally. and the steps taken.
7shouid consutdtb an extension OF fur
ther protection to American interests
rather than declaration of war.
Officials were much gratiffed at a
message. from Bern yesterday saying
the American consuls remaining in Ger
many, for whom some concern had
been felt. would depart early next
week, but there was no evidence that
the development would lessen to an ap-
preciable degree the tension between
the two countries.
1t has been pointed out that the over
shadowing issue is the German sub
marine campaign, and that any other
controversy must be considered as of
minor consequence.
News From Turkey Cheers.
There also was much qualification
here over report from, Ambassador
Elkus. at Constantinople. saying that
Turkey was arranging to facilitate the
departure of the several hundred
American refugees at Beirut. officials
regarded the news as an indication that
the Ottoman government was disposed
not to break with the United States if
it could be avoided. There were no de-
velopments during the day in the sit
uatiOn with Austria, but some official Is
now are hopeful that the break with
Germany will not be extended to any of
her allies.
President Wilson's visit to the Capitol
is understood to have been primarily
for the purpose Of discussing with SEN
ators the legislative program, and to
urge passage of various administration
bills during the remaining two weeks
of the session. With most of the sena-
tors seen he did not talk of the foreign
situation, and the impression gained
ground among some of them that he
did not consider the emergency any
more immediate than he did several
days ago. 1t is known. on the other
hand, that the continued holding of
many vessels in port has come to be
looked upon here as a condition for
which some remedy must be found.
If the President should decide to go
before Congress again before the end
of the present session. he is expected to
point to this dislocation of shipping.
Chairman Simmons OF the Senate
finance committee was one of the SEN
ators who talked with the Presiden
yesterday Others were Senator Till
man, chairman of the naval affairs
committee: Senator Swanson of Vir-
ginia. Senator Pomerene of Ohio and
Senator Overman of North Carolina
Confers With Secretary Baker.
Just before going to the Capitol the
President paid a brief visit to Secretary
Baker at the War Department, and while
it was thought possible that they dis
cussed universal military training, the
Secretary would make no statement
The report from Bern regarding the
departure of the Americans in Germany
said they probably would leave for Switz-
erland Tuesday. The exact date of the
departure had not been set. the message
said. but consuls coming from that d.
rection have been ordered to proceed from
Munich. 1t is expected that a large num-
ber of Americans left in Germany will
leave with the consuls.
State Department officials characterized
as very friendly the communication from
Constantinople concerning the Americans
at Beirut. 1t said the two American re-
lief ships Caesar and Deg Moines, which
have been lying at Alexandria for a long
| time. would be given an opportunity to
distribute their food supplies but bear
, away the American refugees there.
To facilitate the relief work the Turk
| ish authorities also have voluntarily re-
duced the period which had been pre-
scribed as the length of quarantine for
| the outgoing Americans.
| Some consideration will be given to the
! subject. however. before orders are dis.
! patched to the Caesar and Des Moines
| to proceed to Syrian ports 1t is not en-.
| tirely clear here how the ships would
| fare in the blcckaded zone which the
| German decree extended along the Syrian
4 coast
Dutch Extend Food Rationing.
| AMSTERDAM. February 17.-Addi.
tional food rationing will begin in Hol.
/ land Monday, the Handelsblad an.