Evening star., 1917-03-05
ARMED NEUTRALITY
TALKED TO DEATH
Senate Adiourns Without
Reaching Vote, Although IS
Wanted Measure Passed.

Reaching Vote, Although 78
Wanted Measure Passed.
lBITTER FEELING CROPS OUT
AS the armed neutrality bill. request
ed by the President to protect Ameri-
can lives and property on the higf
seas, died at the hands of a determined
lflibuster, the Senate adjourned sine die
at noon yesterday
| The flibuster which was staged early
Saturday by Senator La Toilette. re-
publican, of Wisconsin: Senator Stone
democratic chairman of the foreign re.
lstions committee. and several Other
progressive republicans in addition tc
La Toilette, was carried right up to the
hour of adjournment.
| The closing hours of the Senate ses-
| sion were dramatic. Senator Hitch
| cock, in charge of the bill, and other
supporters of the measure determined
| that if no vote could be had upon 1t, at
| least they would close the debate. and
they held the floor until the end. despite
desperate efforts of Senator La Fol
| let.e to obtain recognition, which at
one time nearly precipitated riot in
| the Senate.
| Senate Galleries Crowded
| The Senate galleries were crowded
and the throngs watched the proceed
ings with tense interest.
| Just outside the Senate chamber. in
| the Presidents room. sat President
Wilson signing such bills as were pre-
sented to him for approval, while the
battle over his bill ragged. lin the Senate.
| Although the supporters OF the bill
were unable to get vote on the meas
lure and pass 1t, they had a round robin
signed by seventysix senators sup
porting the measure, showing that the
Senate overwhelmingly stood by the
President, and put it in the record.
The extraordinary close of the Ses-
sion prevented the usual ceremonies at
| the close of Congress. Vice Presi-
dent Marshall. worn out with the long
hours of work, was not present. and
| Senator Robinson was In the chair
when the gavel fell at noon, bringing g
| to an end the debate on the armed
neutrality bill, and closing the session.
There were none of the usual compli-
Vice President.
Hitchcock Presents Round Robin.
In the early hours of Sunday morn
| ing the galleries were still we'll filled.
although many of the senators had re-
tired to the cloakrooms or to their
committee rooms to seek little much
needed sleep.
At 3:15 o'clock Senator Hitchcock of
Nebraska, in charge of the bill, OBJ
totv ,a1 Inn md tad n ha
Senate the round robin signed by
senators who had expressed a desire
| to vote on the bill before adjournment.
This is a statement signed by nearly
| eighty members of the Senate" he
said. ut embraces about all the sem
ators who can be reached this morning.
The statement is signed in this way by
virtually all but twelve members of
the Senate here present. 1t is desired
to place 1t in the Rocerd. so that the
nine-tenths of the Senate of the United
States desire to place the bill on it's
passage"
Senator Clapp Makes Protest.
Rising to question of personal
privilege, Senator Clapp of Minnesota
declared that it was unfair ands un-
just to men who had no purpose to
delay this bill. but who seek opportu
nifty to make fair speech"
Senator Hitchcock pointed out that
he had asked unanimous consent ear
lier to reach vote on the bill and had
offered ample opportunity to all those
who desired to speak on the measure,
but that Senator Clapp had objected
Senator Robinson of Arkansas then
read the round robin and the names
signed thereto. and made speech in
defense of the action of the senators in
cte inn nd in
Senator Jones of Washington and
Senator Weeks of Massachusetts pro-
tested that while they had signed the
round robin they had not understood
it would be used to cast a~refiection on
any senators who had not signed.
Senator Hitchcock made another ap-
peal for a time for voting on the bill,
asking that it be set at o'clock. But
Ing the desk with his fist. declared that
he did not intend to be .'bulldozed" by
the senator from Nebraska, and objected
Called Humiliating Spectacle.
Zone Of the most humoiliating specta-
cles in American history will be pre-
sented." said Senator Williams Of Mis-
sissippi, "if Congress adjourns and the
bill shall have been defeated by the
United States Senate. The Senate Is
tHc ouIy docoldtCly lulpOleul leRlSla-
tive branch any government in the
world. We have been reduced to a
point where we cannot get a vote in
the Senate except by signing a round
robin.
THE effect. If this bill fails to pass
upon the minds of the military autocra
tic classes in Germany will be about
this: shrug of the shoulders. and a
| smile: They have done Just what we
thought the oney-grubbine, money!
hunting cowardly things would do
Senator Williams described the acts
Of Germany which have caused loss Of
American lives and led up to the break
ing off Of diplomatic relations and the
request of the President for authority
to arm merchant vessels.
Tries to Get Consent for Vote.
THE news will now go over the
world" he said. "the President of the
United States has awakened to the fact
that American honor and self respect
were at stake. and finally the President
was awakened to the idea that patience
had ceased to be a virtue and insult
and injury and humiliation had gone
far enough, but the Senate Of tho