Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1917-03-06
PRESIDENT BLOCKED
IN ARM|NG SHIPS
TELLS PEOPLE OF THE UNITED
STATES HE is POWERLESS
TO ACT.
FEW IN CONGRESS, TIE 1T UP
Unlimited Debate Blamed-Our Mer-
chant Ships Without Protection
From German Submarines
Some Opposed.

washington, March 4.-BreSldent
Wilson tonight informed the country,
in statement, that he may be with
out power to arm merchant ships and
take other steps to meet the German
submarine menace, in the absence of
authority from congress.
The president issued a statement
declaring that through the action of
few senators it has proved impos-
sibie to have passed legislation meet |
ing the present critical international
situation and other bills of vast i'm
portance to the nation.
An extra session of congress, the !
president says, is required to clothe
him with authority, but it is useless
to call one while the senate works
under the present rules, which per-
NIT a small minority to keep an over
whelming majority from acting.
The president proposes, therefore,
that the special session of the senate
which he has called to meet tomor-
row, revise the rules, ito supply the
means of action and save the country
from disaster"
Deed of "WilfuI Men"
"A little group of wilful men, says
the president in his statement rep
resenting no opinion but their own,
have rendered the great government
of the United States helpless and
contemplate"
La Toilette Led Opposition.
Twelve senators, led by Senator La
Toilette and encouraged by Senator
Stone, democratic chairman of the for
eign relations committee, in a filibus-
ter denounced by President Wilson's
| spokesman as the most reprehensible
in the history of any civilized nation,
defied the will of an overwhelming
majority in congress up to the last
minute and denied to the president
la wauthorizing him to arm American
merchant ships to meet the German
menace.
Unyielding throughout 20 hours of
continuous session to appeals that
their defiance of the president would
be humiliating to the country; uncom-
promising in a crisis described to them
as the most serious to the nation since
the civil war La Toilette and his small
= group of supporters refused a major
ity of their colleagues an opportunity
to vote on the armed neutrality bill,
) and it died with the Sixty-fourth con-
gress at noon.
76 Declare for Passage.
To fix responsibility before the
country &c senator's, 80 republicans
, and 46 democrats, signed a manifesto
/ proclaiming to the world that they ia
, vored passage of the measure.
This declaration, embodied in the
c record of the senate, referred to the
r fact that the house Thursday night had
passed a similar bill by a vote of 4O9
to 10 and also recitel that the senate
rule permitting unlimited debate gave
a small minority opportunity to throt
q tie the will of the majority.
Thirteen senators declined to sign
the declaration, but Senator Penrose
= republican, of Pennsylvania, announc
o ed that he would have voted for the
bill had opportunity been afforded to
him.
Republicans: Democrats
. Clapp, Mimi. Kirby, Ark.
Cummins Iowa. Lane, Ore.
t Gronna, n. N. O'Gorman, n. Y.
II Kenyon, Iowa. Stone, Mo.
La Toilette, Wis. Vardaman, Miss.
d Norris, Neb.
l. Works, Cal.
@ Associated with them in opposition
II to the armed neutrality bill were the
S following representatives who voted
against the house bill Thursday night
/ Opposition in House.
q Republicans: Democrats:
p Benedict, Cal. Decker Mo.
Cary, Wis. Shackleford Mo.
! Cooper Wis. Sherwood, Ohio.
- Davis, Mimi. Socialist:
n Helgesen, n. ID. London, n. Y.
d Lindberg, Mimi.
c. Nelson, Wis.
Stafford, Wis.