Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-03-02
CONGRESS AROUSED;
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|C!INdnESO ANOOOGD1
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On motion Of Senator Lodge the SEN
ate at once took up proposal TO ask
! the president to communicate the facts
to congress officially.
After considerable discussion Sen
ator Hardwick insisted upon an objec'
ton to immediate consideration OF the
Lodge resolution in order that there
might be time for deliberation by the
foreign relations committee. Senator
Reed said, 1--WE will not have any more
| manifestations Of dispositions to crit.
cize the president. Let US criticize no
one by any kind Of Inference. This
is a time when Americans should close
their ranks and face one way and re-
spond to one sentiment. l hope that
will be DONE"
II am very deeply impressed with
the gravity OF the situation, said Sen
ator Thomas, democrat. OF Colorado
eve are confronted with a crisis that
may be very serious. 1t Is coinci-
dence that the Associated Press pub
1ication comes when the senate is con-
sidering the army and navy bills.
"But If this letter from the German
foreign minister Is authentic, and It Is
said to be by the senator from Wiz
! ginia, we should know It and know 1t
now. I hope the resolution Of the sen
ator from Massachusetts, will be acted
upon and / am sure the president will
respond to It. There may be reasons
| for not giving the information II In.
compatible with the public interest.
1.-THE fact is the Associated Press
has given this entire story to the pub
lie with what seems to be most I'm.
portant document. 1t IL probably
authentic"
Senator Lodge said he cared little re-
gardtne the form OF his resolution.
"Nothing is further from my mind than
to suggest criticism Of the president,
said he. I'VE ought to have this in
formation-the people ought to have
ito know whether the document is
true or not. If we are to act together
we ought to have that fact
Not War Declaration.
Senator Smith of Georgia made q
suggestion which the senate at once
recognized as of high importance.
at occurs to me-" said he, that
there might be especial propriety for
us to ask for the letter Zimmerman
instructions and for such informa'.
tion as the president may have In ref
erence to it and that such request
coming from US Is quite oiHeren'
thing than for the president 70 nave
sent It to us without the request. Inc
president might be gratiheo TOT us
to have it and yet hesitate to send II
to use as emanatink from his own
action. I see distinction, very great
distinction. between the two lines OF
action and I hope very much that the
resolution may be adopted
II wish to say" replied senator
Lodge, that the statement the sena'
, tor from Georgia makes is perfectly
accurate one. If the president at MS
own motion, we're to SEND those
papers into the senate without com
ment, according to our presidents, II
would mean that he could do nothing
automatically. and he wrote to con-
gress for war"
ut would be practically request
for a declaration Of war; said sena-
tor Smith.
1T would Senator Lodge replied.
But II we take 1t up. there Is no such
situation" :,
THAT was just the distinction
was desiring to present" said Senator
Smith.
The text of the Lodge resolution rs
as follows:
"That the president be requested to
inform the senate whether the note
signed zimmerman pubhsheo IN inc
newspapers of the morning OF March
Il. inviting Mexico to unite with Ger
many and Japan in war against tne
United States is authentic, and II au-
thentic to send to the senate, II not IN
compatible with the public interest,"
any further information In the posses
sion of the U. s. government relative
to the activities of the Imperial Ger
man government in Mexico.
Demand is Presented.
The state department last night sent
to the Berlin government request for
immediate release of four American
consuls, held there pending receipt OF
word that German consuls in the Unit
ed States have been permitted to go to
other posts in South and Central Amer
lea.
AS a result of the increasing gravity
of the German situation the admins
tration is known to be giving extraor-
binary attention to preparedness meas
ures. particularly to the question OF
universal military training, even
though passage of bill providing this
seems unlikely at the present session.