The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-03-03
Republican Senator in Bitter
Arrangement of Kaiser.
He DECLARED WAR ON WORLD
Saws That What U-BOat Zone
Virtually Means.
"a Nation Gone Mad Thru Its
Military AutOcracy."

neutrality bill was running a neck and
neck race with time in congress to-
day. Democrat leaders were planning
to get it thru somehow before the ses-
sion dies at noon tomorrow but were
not entirely certain of the position OF
it's opposition. In the senate, where
the bill was being debated, there were
some long opposition speeches ahead
Altho a great majority of the Repub-
licans urged it's passage, the leaders
were not sure where the last moment
would find Senator LaFollette and the
strain was drawn out by Senator
Stones offering of amendments dis
| agreeable to the president
Senator Brandegee, Republican of
Connecticut called the German pro-
hibited zone, IAN ambush where Ger
many laid in wait to deal death" to
anyone who entered against her edict
creating it.
/ Shall we sit still and allow the
ukase of a foreign potentate to clear
the ocean of American shipping and
! blockade our pOrts?' he asked. Are
we obliged to wait for the slaughter
to be accomplished before we defend
ourselves?
Scores Misguided Pacifists.
| 4 trust that neither congress nor
the American people have fallen to
such depths of degration that they
are willing to turl the American flag
and withdra " from the high seas
the misguided band of pacitists seem to
wish. There is no use to issue moral
homily or a Salvation Army tract or
to repeat the Sermon on the Mount to
nation that has gone mad and acts
thru its military autocracy like a
homicidal maniac. Must we get off
the face of the earth-lie down and
curl up? I'm fo1 peace, but l am go
ing to preserve the liberties of my
; country.
IF the pacif1sts had lived in the
time of George Washington we never
would have been a country and if they
have thei. va now we will cease to
be a country. The peace propaganda,
, in some aspects, closely approaches
treason"
Tell Senate of BerIin's Admission.
Senator Sherman presented today's
/ news dispatches from Berlin bringing
Foreign Minister zimmerman adj
mission of the attempted intrigue with
Japan and Mexico.
Senators manifested such keen in
terest in the dispatches that they were
read twice. Senators who had been
] inclined to denounce the celebrated
Zimmerman instructions as forgery
/ or British plot, showed particular
interest.
Japan has denied receipt of over
lures" Senator Sutherland, Republic
can, of Utah, inteIjected. Il ask if
there is any significance to the fact
/ that our great and good friend Cen
! eral Carranza, in our neighboriny
! friendly republic, has not made any
denial?"
| Senator Stone asked where the dis
| patches came from and was informed
they were from the Wolff bureau, a
1 German semi orga nization.
! These dispatches resumed Senator
Brandegee, give US a fairly accurate
/ idea of the plans that exist at the
present time between the Teutonic
| powers and this great country. Zim-
hermann declares Germany's inten-
ton to resume unrestricted subma-
rine warfare, the kind that sunk the
| Lusitania, the kind that Germany has
agreed to abandon.
Germany Double Crossed Us.
| Germany suspended this warfare
| while she was rebuilding submarines.
| Then came announcement of her in
| tention not only to resume this assas
sinatiFn, already carried into effect,
but her intention, also, to array every
nation against us that could get at
the United States in case we at
tempted to defend ourselves against
| these aSSaSSinS.
Are we going to lie down on our
backs and let this monstrous Frank
enstein trample over US ruthlessly? l
am not deceived by the effect of this
bill. The effect will be that the next
passenger or freight ship with Ameri-
| can gunnerS aboard which attempts
to enter British or neutral ports in the
zone will be attacked by a German
submarine. That means that there
will be war if this country is fit to
live. If. perchance, our defensive
| gunners should sink submarine, that
would mean war;
| Senator Brandegee declared with
! emphasis that a state of war already
existed and had existed between the
United States and Germany since Feb
ruary 1.
Has Declared War ON World.
Germany declared war on the
whole world in issuing this proclama-
tion," he asserted mo self-respect-
| ing nation regards 1t any other way.
! When she proclaimed slaughter in the
barred zone, she declared war against
this nation"
That he and some other foreign re-
lations committee members wanted to
merely authorize" the president to
arm American merchantmen was
stated by the Connecticut senator.
Stone Opposes President
Senator Stone then offered his
amendmnet to prevent protection and
armament of munitions ships. Tho
course the president has pursued with
Mexico and during the European war
was pointed to by Senator Stone as
proof of his desire to keep the nation
out of war.
! Despite the clamor, the intrigue,
the subterfuges, he said, Ito entrap
him into an act of war against a
! European power. he has stood firm
as a rock. / would, therefore, rather
trust him than all the official weak
lingS about him who daily fly their
kites to see which way the wind blows.
If l thought this question here today
was one of faith and trust in him, !
would not hesitate.
'tBut this is the first time the pres
ident and 1 have not ben able to
reconcile our differences. I believe
| the bill to be not only Violative of the