The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat., 1917-03-08
BRYAN's OPINION
ON FII.IBUSTER
CONTINUED from page 1.)

would not hesitate to confer upon
him any power that he could himself
use, but the president cannot ride on
the ships himself or handle the guns.
He cannot even direct the man who
pulls the trigger.
The expert gunner will be some
5000 miles from Washington when he
carries out the authority conferred.
He will not only have the experts
desire to test his skill but he will be
under the immediate direction Of
ship owner who may have large Pc
cuniary interest in landing a contra
band cargo.
The president has not asked con-
gress to surrender to him authority to
declare war; is 1t strange that con-
gress should hesitate to put an ext err
gunner in position where, by his mis-
/ take, or by a mistake of an interested
ship owner, he may commit an act Of
war?
| The senate and house did not agree
as to the phraseology of the proposed
bill. The senate wanted to include
L.other instrumentalities" which the
house thought too vague description
of the power conferred. The house
also excepted from insurance of mer-
chantmen carrying guns and muni-
tions and minority of house commit
tee favored inserting this exception
in the paragraph authorizing the
arming Of ships.
am heartily in sympathy with the
Ihouse in Withholding insurance from
ships carrying arms and ammunition
and am also in sympathy with the
minority of the committee in the belief
that the exception should be extended
Ito the arming of ships as well. The
bill in both senate and house provided
for protection of Americans only when
they were lawfully on ship and 1t Is
| for congress to say what is lawful.
/ In my opinion a law should be en-
acted Withholding clearance from any
belligerent ships carrying American
passengers to Europe American pa
pers of the oath of last month con.
! tanned the following dispatch from
Halifax, N. s.:
Ocean barred to women"
| Halifax, n. S., Feb. %. A number
Of women and children who arrived
| here last night on steamship from
the United States for Europe were
taken off today by government authori-
ties under a regulation which provides
/ that women and children may not sail
from a British port for England at
present.
Three American women aboard
the liner, which arrived in port last
night, were permitted to continue the
voyage Clearance papers were re-
fused until twenty-five Canadian wo-
men and children had been removed.
They were taken ashore in tugs"
If Great Britain will not allow Brit
ish women and children to sail on a
British ship bound for England, why
should the United States allow Amerf-
can women and children, or even Am
erican men, to sail on any belligerent
ships going into the danger zone?
1t will be noticed that the Halifax
dispatches say that three American
women were allowed to proceed" OF
course the British officials had no
authority to remove American women,
but why should the United States al
low the owner OF belligerent ship to
safeguard a contraband cargo with
American women and children, or even
American men?
And why should our government per-
NIT the United States to be drawn
into this war by the follies OF any
American citizen who so disregards
his country's welfare as to travel up
on a belligerent ship, whether for
Measure or for prof1t7