Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-02-27
PRES. ASKS CONGRESS
CONTINUED from Page one)
DIFFERENTIATION Follows

| Rut at the conclusion of the address
| when the President spoke OF the funda-
mental rights on which are based the
| structure of family, state and hperty,
and said: II canont imagine any man
! with American principles at his heart
! hesitating to defend these Things. the
| cheers broke forth and resounded
| through the chamber.
At once the wheels of the Congression-
| al machinery began turning
| Secretary McAdoo conferred with the
! leaders. who will have to do with au-
| thorizing the bond issue and Postmaster
| General Burleson, who looks after lin
| ing up administration forces in the
House. was active in conferences. The
| result was the introduction OF a bill,
which was referred to the foreign af-
! fairs committee to be reported to the
House tomorrow and meeting OF the
Senate foreign relations committee to
discuss a similar measure
Tomorrow perhaps, or next day at the
latest will develop the breadth and
depth of the opposition the President
must face in order. as Senator Williams
recently expressed it. Ito un-fool Ger
many" The most serious concern of
the Presidents friends is that out of
the situation an impression may go
abroad as on previous occasions that the
united force of Congress does not stand
behind him.
Historical Precedent
The armed neutrality which the Pres
ident proposes does ut look TO war;
whether it shall become war depends
upon those who infringe upon the
rights it seeks to protect. There is am
pie historical precedent to it-northern
Europe under the leadership of Russia
formed a league and used it to protect
its commerce in the wars between Eng
land and France and France and Spain.
Although the President, when he sew
cred diplomatic relations with Germany,
invited other neutrals to follow his lead
he has not 50 far as is known, suggest
ed that neutrals join the United States
in the armed neutrality he proposes. All
foreign governments. however. have been
officially advised Of his address to Con-
gress today. and official copies have
been delivered to their diplomats here.
BY wireless the text was sent to Berlin.
The precederts set by John Quincy
Adams to protect the commerce of the
United States against the predatory
violence" Of France during the Napo-
lecnic wars drew a striking parallel
to the situation which confronts Pres
ident Wilson Congress authorized
Adams TO protect American ships and
life at sea by armed force to raise an
army. Now as then Congress is asked
to empower the President to act as
may become necessary. Every conf
6ence is expressed at the White House
that Congress ultimately will act as
the President asks taking into ac-
count his efforts of more than two
=. years to preserve peace as sufficient
evidence that he does not desire 20
plunge the country into war. No steps
toward the 2rrning of merchant ships
/ are 10 be taken until Congress acts.
i The conveying of merchantmen is not
approved by naval authorities as an
effective or desirable strategic policy.
One collateral feature has not been
wholly stirred UP. Efforts to have Pres
ident Wilson call conference Of neu-
! ira Is to formulate uniform declara-
ton of the rights of the nations not at
war are going steadily forward and
there are ndicati that they are ia
yored in administration quarters. Sug-
gestionS TO this effect have come from
more than one of the Europe2n neu-
trails since diplomatic relations with
Germany were severed. Introduction
of the bill in the House emhodying the
Presidents suggestions followed nu-
merOus conferences on the subject be-
tween Senate and House leaders.
Republican members of the foreign
relations committee let it be known
that when the committee meets tomor-
will 10 no
ure in several particulars. They want
TO eliminate from the first clause the
qualification to the authorization to
the President for arming merchant
ships. read should it in his judgment
become necessary for him to do So
and to direct as we'll as empower the
arming. The second clause which would
empower the President Ito employ
such other instrumentalities as may in
his judgment ard discretion seem ne
cessary' they will seek to modify and
make more specific.
Some of the Republicans object to
the provision leaving arming of ships
to the Presidents judgment because
they declare this form Of expression
implies that the emergency for arm
ing ships does rot yet exist when they
DeHeNe I11t 1t Goes now exist ana has
existed for some time.
What Senator La Toilette may do is
disturbing administration leaders who
would like to Rave the bill passed at
once. They fear that he may conduct
a filibuster against it even should it
be modified to meet objection Of all
other senator's
Senator Simmons. one of the Dem
ocratic leaders. said tonight he fear
ed the Republicans would filibuster on
the measure to the extent Of forcing
it over March A.
IF that should be the result" said
Senator Simmons, land we get our
revenue bill and defense measures, ii
might not be necessary to call an extra
session"
In the House Chairman Flood of the
foreign affairs committee after attend
ing many conferences with is colleagues
and talking with senators retired to his
ONCE and prepared the bill largely from
a memorandum the President handed him
at the White House early in the day 1t
was automatically referred to his COM
mittee without discussion.
Failure of Democrats to agree on the