The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-03-14
HAS POWER TO ARM SHIPS.
LANSING AND GREGORY RULE
PRESIDENT CAN TAKE STEP
FOR DEFENSE.
Guns ana G''nners May he Placed on
Merchant Ships to Safeguard Them
From Attacks of Submarine-Extra
Session Is Expected, However

washington, March s.-secretarv
Lansing and Attorney General Greg.
ory have advised President Wilson
that he had full authority to arm
American merchant ships against H.
legal attacks by German submarines
1t was these two officers-the gov.
ernments authorities respectively on
international questions and law-that
the president referred the contention
raised in the senate that old statutes
enacted to authorize merchantmen to
resist pirates raised an insuperable
bar to the step he desired to take to
met the submarine menace. Thev
have reported that the statutes have
no application to the present situa-
ton.
Whether the president will act i'm =
mediately in accordance with this
opinion or will wait to call a special
session Of congress to pass a resolu-
ton similar to that killed by a fill
buster during the last session was not
revealed tonight.
In view Of the action OF the senate
today in revising it's rules to prevent
another such fllibuster, 1t was thought
in some administration quarters that
the president will Immediately call
an extra session. Weight was given to
this idea by the presidents statelnen,
last Sunday in which he held blame
for the failure Of the armed neutrali.
ty resolution on little group Of will
full men, and appealed to the senate
to amend it's rules and "save the
country from disaster"
However, 1t was recalled that In the
same statement the preside nt express.
ed the opinion that old statutes might
raise "insuperable practicable obstruc.
tions." Since then he has received the
opinions Of the attorney general and
the secretary of State.
One problem involved in consider.
ing the subject is the probable diff.
ficulty over the organization Of the
next house because of the alfnos,
evenly distributed balance Of powe,
between the Democrats and Republi.
cans.
A long drawn out fight such as has
marked the organization of more thar
one house probably would delay &C.
tion on the armed neutrality dues
tion-a contingency which the presi-
dent is determined to avoid.
1t Is taken for granted in all quar-.
ters that before July / the presiden,
will summon an extra session of con.
gress. The only question open to.
night was whether it will be called
Immediately. Many members of the
old house have left for their homes
and some of the new members are
not here. Therefore at least a weeks
notice Is considered imperative, and
some members want three weeks be-
cause Of their expectation that once
congress convenes again it will re-
main In session long time.
The president himself remained in
bed all day with cold, and saw no
callers. Because of his cold, and be-
cause three members Of the cabinet
are absent from the city it appeared
probable that the usual Friday cabi.
net meeting would be Cancelled.
On every hand. however, the pre-
diction was made that the decision of
the president either to call an extra
session Immediately or to arm Amer
lean merchantmen on his own author
ity Is expected before the end of the
present week, possibly tomorrow.