Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1917-03-01
9 tDehorned'' Measure Reported
in House Merely Allows
Arming Of U. S. Reg
istered Ships.
HITS AT WAR COMMERCE
Measure Reported by Commit.
tee Withholds Government
Insurance From Ships
Carrying Munitions.

10 protect the sea rights OF the
American people, regardless Of ac-
tion by congress.
It is stated on best of authority
that he will act whether he gets
authority from congress or not,
when he believes action should be
taken. Moreover, he looks on the
Loconia case as one regarding
which the public will expect him
to take action.
Washington. d. c., March 1.-The
House foreign affairs committee today
reported the Flood bill. designed to
give the president power to protect the
lives of United States citizens and
American ships. after striking out the
words "other instrumentalities, and
amending the measure to prohibit gov
ernnlent war insurance for ships car
rying munitions of war.
AS reported by the House committee
the bill would read:
Limited to Arrn;ng Ships.
.'The president OF the United States
be, and is hereby authorized and en-
powered, to supply merchant ships, the
property of citizens of the Unlteo
States, and bearing registry OF the
United States, with defensive arms, anu
also with the necessary ammunltloli'
and means of making use of them In de-
fense of unlawful attacks, and that ne
be, and is hereby authorized and en-
powered, to protect such ships ana the
citizens of the United States against
unlawful attack, while in their laWiui ",
respectful pursuits on the high seas.
This eliminates the provision Wnlcn
Ia
70 employ such other instrumentahties
and methods aus "nay in his judg1nent
and discretion seem necessary and aoe-
5quate."
Can't Insure Some Ships.
The bill would provide the $loo'ooO.-
dent to transfer some of the funds TO
the war risk insurance bureau but con-
tains this phrase prohibiting insurance
Of munitions ships:
"Said bureau of war risk insurance
shall not insure any arms, ammunition,
or any vessel carrying arms and am
munition consigned to belligerent coun-
tries or any citizen thereof"
Mr. Flood said this provision would
permit the arIning and protection OF
munitions ships. but would not permit
their insurance by the government. Ihe
administration contends that munitions
ships are protected by international law
rs well as any others against ruthless
and unwarned destruction with sacri-
flee of life.
Senate Waits on House.
No record of the vote in committee
was kept, but Chairman Flood said he
thought it was II to 4. Other members
said seven voted against it. At any
rate, five committeeman announced
they would file minority reports. They
were Shackleford, democrat, OF Mis-
eouri; Cooper, republican, Wisconsin,;
Hudleston, democrat, Alabama; Porter,
republican, Pennsylvania, and Thomp-
son, democrat, Oklahoma. Chairman
Flood will report the bill to the House
tomorrow morning.
That the Senate will take no action
on the armed neutrality bill until the
House has passed the measure, practi-
cally was assured today after a con-
ference between Senator Stone, chair
man of the foreign relations committee,
and Representative Mann, House re-
publican leader. Mr.. Mann declared
The Senate could not act on bill pro-
yiding for an issue of bonds until it
had been passed by the House.
Receives Peace Callers.
President Wilson told peace advo-
Gates who called on him today to pro-
test against the steps he proposes in
dealing with Germany that the country
was faced by a momentous problem in
the present situation, that he had al
ways been for peace and would dc
everything within his. power TO NAM
tain it.
The president received their sugges-
tions sy1npathetically members of the
delegation said, but told them the coun-
try must realize the magnitude of the
question.