The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-02-27
Expected to Give President
Wilson Authority to Act,
But Probably in Moh-
fed Form.
HISTORIC DELIBERATIoN
Members Of consess Hesitate 1t Civ
Ing the President Full Power
to do ~ He Thinks
Best
(By Carl D. GroAt. United Press Sta6
COrreenondent,1

[By Carl D. Groat. United Press stafi
Correspondent
WASHINGTON, Feb. 27.-As con
gress met today for what n expect
ed to be one Of the most historic and
mOmentous closing sessions In ita
history. It was believed certain the
legislative branch o6 the government
will eventually uphold President VII
sons hands-in modified form.
There are only five days remain
Ing for this present congress to give
the president tho powers he asked
yesterday, when no told Joint sos
sion that this. nation has found II
neoessary totnko dcasklo meAau1ol
to protect XmericlH lives and Annsft
can property against the depredA
tions Of . ruthless. internationally
illegal submarine sea warfare.
Many congress heads. INCLUDING
even those who do not agree alto
eether with tho president in his
course, pointed to the fact that will
son had opposition beforo-and he
has always got what he asked"
Congress generally plainly showed
early today it does not like the pres
ident's request for other instrument
alities" than gums for American craft.
gunners and money mainly for In
surance, wherewith to meet interna-
tional possibilities.
The house and senate foreign COM
mittees were booked to meet at 10
O'Clock this morning to formulate the
bill giving the president the power
he desires.
That the house foreign affairs com.
mittee would report today seemed
very likely. At the same time, the
rules committee was ready to report
out rule to smooth the way and
shorten the time to the minimum re-
qufred for considering the bill.
The house view this forenoon was
that amendments would strip out the
other instrumentalities" idea Of the
bill, in which the president sought
thereby to cover broader action
than his speech yesterday indicated
The senate foreign relations COM
forenoon to consider Wilson's re-
1uest.
Last night the members dispersed
Without knowing what they would
To-
Action in the house seemed pos
,ible before night; 1t is possible like
wise the senate will dispose Of the
natter today.
Sinking Of the Laconi, with the loss
# two American women's lives,
President Wilson'S posi-
ion, even among pacif1st opponents,
ret it did not serve fully to assuage
he opposition to the "other instru-
nentalities."
The answer to pacifist opposition
Will be that the presidents request
s aimed-not at war-but at peace.
mother answer will be that In hand
ng copies OF the address to diplo-
natic representatives of all foreign
here, recipients were
old specifically the same thing-that
What the president asked does not in
my way constitute a warlike move
hat it is designed on the other hand,
o preserve the frayed peace between
his nation and Germany: that with
he powers the president asked, he
lopes to take steps that viii preserve
he peace.
This same construction was in.
.luded with the text wirelessed to
Berlin.
In the meantime, neutral diplomats
ave redoubled their subsurface ef.
orts to check Germany and save the
worlds greatest neutral from being
ucked into the war maelstrom. Just
low this is succeeding or what, part
{ any the United States is taking
,ficialiy or otherwise is not fully
howM
Committee split.
~ ~
louse foreign affairs committees split
n President Wilson's request for
n the international situax1ca.
allied today % report ont Ae t1oo4
e-ss~a n