The Tomahawk., 1917-03-15
ING AUTHORITY FROM CON-
GRESS HE CANNOT TAKE
STEPS AGAINST U-BOATS.
HE CALLS ON SENATE TO
REVISE OBSTRUCTING RULES
Would Do Away With Methods Which
Permit Small Minority to Keep
Overwhelming Majority From
Acting, Rendering Govern
ment Hell pIess.

Washington, March 6. - President
Wilson has informed the country in
| statement that he may be without
power to arm merchant ships and
take other steps to meet the German
| submarine menace in the absence OF
the authority from Congress.
The Presidents statement follows:
The termination of the last session
of the sixty-fourth Congress by con-
stitutional limitation disclosed a sit
uation unparalleled in the history Of
the country, perhaps unparalleled In
the history of any modern govern
ment. In immediate presence of a
crisis fraught with more subtle and
far-reaching possibilities Of national
danger than any other government
has known within the whole history
of it's international relations, the Con-
gress has been unable to act either
to safeguard the country or to vindi-
cate tho elementary rights Of it's citi-
Zens.
More than 500 of the 531 members
of the two houses were ready and
anxious to act; the House of Repre-
sentatives had acted by an overwhelm-
ing majority, but the Senate was un-
able to act because a little group of
II senators had determined that it
should not. -.
One Man Can Block Road.
The Senate has no rules by which
debate can be limited or brought to
an end, no rules by which dilatory tao
tics Of any kind can be prevented. A
single member can stand in the way
of action If he have but the physical
endurance. The result in this case
is a complete paralysis alike of the
legislative and of the executive
branches of the government.
This inability of the Senate to act
has rendered some of the most neces-
sary legislation of the session impos-
sible, at a time when the need for 1t
was most pressing and most evident.
The bill which would have permitted
such combinations of capital and OF
organization in the export and import
trade Of the country as the circum-
stances of international competition
have made imperative-a bill which
the business Judgment of the whole
country approved and demanded-has
failed.
Vital Measures Are Killed.
The opposition of one or two sena-
tors has made it impossible to in
crease the membership of the Inter
state Commerce commission or to
give it the altered organization nee
essary for it's efficiency. The conser-
walton bill which should have released
for immediate use the mineral re-
sources which are still locked up IN
the public lands now that their re-
lease is more imperatively necessary
than ever, and the bill which would
have made the unused water power
Of the country Immediately available
for industry have both failed, though
they have been under consideration
throughout the session OF two con-
crosses and have been twice passed
by the House Of Representatives.
Army Appropriations Fall.
The appropriations for the army
| failed, along with the appropriations
| for the civil establishment of the gov
eminent, the appropriations for the
military academy at West Point, and
tho general deficiency bill. 1t has
proved impossible to extend the pow
ers of the shipping board to meet the
special needs of the new situation
into which our commerce has been
forced, or to increase the gold reserve
of our national banking system to
! meet the unusual circumstances OF
the existing financial situation.
It would not cure the difficulty to
| call the sixty-fifth Congress in extra
| ordinary session. The paralysis OF the
Senate would remain. The purpose
and the spirit Of action are not lack
ing now. The Congress is more def
| nitely united in thought and purpose
at this moment. I venture to say
| ~~.~S~1~~~~e~~~3~~>>~>~