The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-03-04

president In order TO prevent fhe
protection OF ships carrying NUM-
lions to bciligercnts-
For long hours the Missouri
statesman held the senate floor, as
with grave and solemn mien he
wnrned TIN, senate that the gen.
eral authorization carried in the
pcndinc bill would make war with
f.eru,any inevitable. Utterly de-
srsring the administration which
for nearly four years he has rep
resented On the senate floor ms It's
<J,okc~man I'm foreign affairs. SEN
ator stone declared that the con-
rrrss proposed to delegate To the
president the power to force the
nation into war.
Wants more Provocauon."
into the midst of a debate which
had hristled with war talk der an1s
for immediate and aggressive Pcnon
and declarations that Germany had
already started war on the United
States. Senator Stone threw the tate
nent that he was opposed To war
..wtthout further provocation" and
that he believed the president TOOK
he same view.
"I would rather trust the lresi-
dent to keep us out OF war, salT the
erstwhile administration leader, than
the limoges SO prevalent In some parts
OF the country and In congress. IN
less am woefullv mistaken. | be
iieve that the president wants peace
more than war But ! cannot vote
for this bill even should the rresi-
dent recommend it. believe the
measure violates the constitution OF
the United States and that IL would
he destructive Of one OF the most i'm
portant powers vested in congress
the war-making power. i would not
for a moment consider voting such
extraordinary and dangerous powers
INTO the hands II any president
Fer more than four hours sen
ate worn with fatigue and impatient
rnder the tense excitement Of the oc-
castor, listened to n carefully pre-
pared argument which the Missouri
senator read from manuscript. Sen
aiors we're nervous and irritable.
Crowded and excited galleries stir
red uueasily as the argument proceed
ed and times the vice president was
forced to threaten 10 clear the spec
iators from their seats Extra guards
were established al all OF the senate
entrances as the senate wore through
the most mem orable debate since the
DAYS of the Civil war.
show Their Hands.
III when Senator Stone concluded, the
determination OF the opponents OF the
= hiif to force DELAY became apparent
Senator Hitchcock. in charge OF me
: measure sought an agreement foS~ar
time for vote. II failed. He offer
ed to allow ten hours more OF de-
bate. all to be consumed by the OPP
position TO the measure. Senator Cum
minis. OF iowa objected.
Tho Plot Is Clear.
n was clear that the opponents Of
the armed neutrality bill. which con
sisted of less than a dozen senators,
were prepared m talk through the
night and to delay vote 10 the dy
ing hours of the congress. Behind
this move lay the conviction Of
group OF Republicans that an extra
session Of congress should he forced.
With the big army appropriation bill.
The spndrv civil Appropriation, the
general deficiency bin and the mill
tary academy bill vet unpassed nv tho
senate and various other big meas
ures in various stages of enactment,
the Republicans believed that to pre-
vent all general legislation might
force the president tn call cone ress
back. But from the White House the
word was passed To senate lenders
that no matter what routine lestsia
ton failed, the president would not
call an extra session al once.
The present appropriations run TO
July ]. and il was stated that an
extra session II necessary at all would
be delayed until as near that date as
possible.
Fall Is Bcliigerent.
Republican senators throughout the
debate breathed war and defiance TO
Germany. Senator Fall declared that
the armed neutrality bill was equival-
ent IN limited declaration of war"
why not be frank about 1t then
and declare war on Germany" de-
manded Senator Reed, of Missouri,
III the senate wants my advice. ia
declare war on Germany In fifteen
minutes" shouted Senator Fall.
Senator Brandegee. of Connecticut.
declared that the German resumption
OF submarine warfare was "a declara-
ton OF war against all the world +"
This Is no time to deliver sermons
on the German nation gone mad -
he declared Now is the time to give
the president full authority to carry
hostillties already begun by Germany
70 a successful conclusion"
\ Crying shame.
III this legislation should be per-
mitted 10 fail the action of the senate
would be misconstrued abroad" de-
elared Senator Sutherland, OF Utah
and ] think II would be crying
shame. We ought to stand up for our
rights even II II leads to war I love
peace as much as tho senator from
4 Missouri, and hate war as much az
he, but ii must be a peace OF honor
and courage. not Il peace of cowardice
and craven surrender"
Insistence by Senator Jones, OF
Washing ton. that the resolution might
as well name Germany led to heated
discussion in which Senators Suther-
land, Sterling of South Dakota, and
Nelson. OF Minnesota. took part
Germany is not the only country
which has forbidden our ships the
seas" declared Senator Jones'
Has Great Britain ever sunk one
4 OF our shfrs or done anything of the
kind?" demanded Senator Sterling
Yes. yes" shouted Senator Jones
reaching In his desk for a newspaper
& clipping. why. Mr. Presto s,t"
broke In Senator Nelson, the British
nave never sunk ship. Thev have
& acted entirely in accordance with in
fernational law They have stopped