The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1917-12-12
President Wilson Sign S
Resolution.
ONLY ONE VOTE
AGAINST ACTION
Only Representative London Casts
Ballot in Negative. Adoption Fol.
lows Brief Discussion with Practi-
cally All Agreed aS to Course. Doc
nmcnt Is Brief but to the Point.

Ca1iS AL ASTccu us 10 SOUfSe. DOc.
nmcnt Is Brief but to the Point.
Washington, Dec. War between
the. United States and Austro-Hungary
was formally declared today Con-
grcss. with one dissenting vote in
the, house, adopted and President Will
son approved resolution declaring
existence of state Of war between
the imperial and royal Austro- Hun
garian government and the govern
mcnt and people Of the United States,"
authorizing the president to employ
the nations armed forces and pledg-
ing it's resources to victory.
The resolution, the response of con-
gress to the presidents request in his
address. Tuesday is similar to that
passed April 6. declaring war with
Germany. 1t becomes effective at 5:O3
p. IN. today, when it was signed by
the executive without formality. An
executive proclamation will follow
shortly.
After only one hours deliberation
the resolution was unanimously adopt
cd by the senate with an affirmative
vote Of "a. 1t was approved by the
house 363 to one, Representative Lon
don, the New York Socialist, casting
the. only dissenting vote. A few min
utes later, Vice President Marshall
and Speaker Clark had signed the
document and sent it to the White
House where the president attached
his signature with Secretary Tumulty
and Assistant Secretary Forester as
the only witnesses.
The resolution follows:
S'Joint resolution:
Declaring that state of war ex-
lists between the imperial and royal
Austro-Hungarian government and the
government and people of the United
States, and making provision to prose
cute the same.
Whereas the imperial and royal
Austro-Hungarian government has
committed repeated acts of war
against the government and the peo-
pie Of the United States Of America;
therefore, be it
Resolved by the senate and house
Of representatives of the United States
Of America in congress assembled,
That state of war Is hereby declared
to exist between the United States
Of America and tho imperial and royal
Austro-Hungarian government; and
that the president be, and he Is here
by, authorized and directed to employ
the entire naval and military forces
of the United States and the resources
Of tho government to carry on war
against tho imperial and royal Aus
tro-Hungarlan government; and to
bring the conflict to successful ter
mination all the resources Of the coun-
try are hereby pledged by the con-
gress OF the United States.
Signatures:
Champ Clark,
Speaker Of the House OF Representa-
tiyes.
Thomas n. Marshall,
"Vice President of the United States
and President of the Senate.
Approved December, 1917.
Woodrow Wilson"
In accord with President Wilson's
suggestion action in respect to Tur
key and Bulgaria, Germany's other al
lies, was left to the future. Wide
spread demand in congress for their
inclusion In the declaration was in
dicated In both senate and house de-
bate, but when tho roll calls came
the presidents advice was followed In
q demonstration Of American unity and
harmony. Representative London, who
cast the one negative vote, explained
his opposition by stating that he was
pledged to that course by the Social
list party
Debate In both houses was uncx-
pcctcdly brief lasting only an hour
In the senate and only two hours and
40 minutes in the house Also, in
sharp contrast to tho discussion which
preceded the war declaration against
Germany last April, 1t was almost de-
void OF spectacular features.
Tho senate acted first on tho res
0lutlon presented by Chairman Stone