Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-04-05

| nations have come to me that political
| expediency required me to cast my vote
| against this resolution and that contrary
action on my part would mean general
effort Afromsznow on to end my congress
| sional career. I would be unworthy of
American citizenship were to be deferred
from acting by such warnings. I say to
my colleagues who are now hesitating
| that the people will know whether they
are for this great land of freedom and re-
ligious liberty or whether they going
to be guided simply by the selfish ques
ton whether they will obtain more votes
in 1918 by standing on the side Of our foe.
Let US give evidence to the world that we
are united.
| Representative Harrison. democrat. of
Mississippi, assailed pro-German sympa-
thizers and pacifists.
! 81 would suggest to them" said he,
that they now employ their talents and
eloquence. not in attempting to cause dis
sension among the American people. but
In addressing Kaiser Wilhelm, Bethmann
Hollweg, the reichStag and the author of
that remarkable sample of diplomatic
| 'kultur.' the Zimmerman note"
| First expressions of the opposition to
the resolution came from Representa-
tives Cooper and Stafford of Wisconsin
and Representative Britten of Illinois.
| while Mr.. Flood was recounting Ger
! man violations of American rights
which have led up to the war resolu-
| tiorl.
Wouldn't the English mines In the
North sea destroy American lives?"
Representative Cooper asked.
! ITO date England 2ever has sunk one
! of our ships or destroyed an American
, life, Mr.. Flood said
| Loud applause greeted the reply
| He said sixteen members had asked
| for time in which to speak against the
| resolution
Cooper Defends Stand
Representative Cooper launched into
/ Il defenss of pacifsts generally and
himself particularly
| Il have been called a pacifist." he
said Il voted for all of these prepar-
| edness bills. This campaign of slander
! has no regard for the truth
| Cooper also defended his vote for the
| McLemore resolution.
Il was right them he said. 'and SO
| were the 144 other members who voted
! for it. 1t should have passed. Canada
! does not permit its women to travel on
armed ships. and neither should we.
| Every pacifist in the country knows l
| am not pacifist in the sense in which
! that word is used. Does it mean be-
| cause l do not want to go to war with
| a nation 1000 miles away. because
England and Germany have violated
! our rights, that / not Amer
| ican?"
Mr.. Cooper broke his eyeglasses and
| found trouble reading certain docu
ments. dozen members rushed for
! in front of him.
| Cooper. turning to the chair, said:
| MIR. Chairman. l cannot surrender. a II
! of my time to trying on specs"
| roar of laughter swept the House.
/ Mr.. Cooper declared that the German
| government never had promised un-
| dualifiedly to abandon its submarine
| warfare. Representative Flood made
i, loud demands to be heard. but Cooper
/ would not yield.
Question Arouses Mr.. Cooper.
| Representative Garrett of Tennessee
aroused Mr. Cooper by asking him how
far England had gone to compensate
| this country for ships lost.
Il am glad you asked that question"
| Mr.. Cooper said. Il deny that this
question is one of property on the one
hand and human lives on the other 1t
is question of the people being neu-
tral or admittedly going into this war
because Germany is monarchy"
The German people, Cooper insisted
| had as much to do with bringing on
the war as either the English or the
Russian people.
! Mr. Cooper accused Secretary Lam
sing of deliberately emitting an impor-
tant document from one of the official
records which presented a German
! view. He read a letter from Secretary
Lansing to Representative Tinkham Of
| Massachusetts explaining the omission
| Mr.. Cooper closed with the declara-
ton that while all would stand united
when war comes, he would not be one
to vote to plunge the country into war
Views of Mr.. Britten.
| Representative Britten, Illinois, republi-
can. declared he was not pacfist in any
sense, but he was opposed to the resolu-
tion. He said the people are mot in sym
pathy with movement that is slowly
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