The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1917-03-03

Washington, March 1.-"I have done,
am now doing, and will continue to do
everything in my power to keep the
United States at peace" This was the
assurance given group of pacifists by
President Wilson. The pacifist com
mittee had presented resolutions to the
president urging him to keep this
country out of war.
! Washington, March by vote Of
II to 4, the house foreign affairs COM
mittee voted to report favorably the
Flood bill authorizing the president to
arm American merchantmen, but deny
ing the president the right to employ
sother instrumentalities and methods" !"
Instead the president is authorized
ITO protect such ships and the citizens
of the United States against unlawful
attacks while in their lawful and
peaceful pursuits on the high seas"
The committee also adopted a pro-
viso prohibiting the war-risk insurance
from issuing insurance to vessels car
rying munitions of war.
Those voting against a favorable re-
port of the bill were Representatives
Cooper, Wisconsin, Republican; Por-
ter, Pennsylvania, Republican; Shack
leford, Missouri, Democrat, and Hud-
dleston of Alabama, Democrat.
Insurance Clause Killed.
The committee was opposed to
adopting in any form an amendment
denying the authorization of arma-
Iinent I'd ships carrying munitions Or
s 81 81 c,lis \
lrying contfaband Instead, as con-
cession to the opposition, the commit
tee voted to except ships carrying war
munitions from the protection of the
war-risk insurance bureau.
There was no opposition to the
granting to the president of $100,000,-
600 to carry out the provision Of the
bill.
p. A. S. Franklin of New York,
president of the American line, in a
letter to Representative Bennett de-
clared that the United States ought to
lose no time in letting the world know
that American guns and American
gun-pointers will hereafter protect
Americans on the high seas.
"What the United States ought to
do" wrote Mr.. Franklin, sis to an
nounce to whom it may concern that
there Is only one transatlantic passen-
ger-carrying service under the Ameri-
can flag and that service is under con-
tract to the United States government
to sail regularly every Saturday, and,
further, that the United States is de-
termined to have transatlantic pas
senger-carrying service available for
it's citizens, government officials and
others to cross the Atlantic upon, and
that as 1t is impracticable to properly
convoy such steamers, they are to be
manned, gunned and officered by the
United States navy, and anybody that
interferes with them in any manner
will do so at their peril.
"Such position would have the coun-
try behind it, and would enable self
respecting Americans to hold their
heads up"
The rules committee will adopt a
rule limiting debate on the Flood bill
SO its early passage through the house
may be assured.
Would Surrender v. S. Rights.
In his minority report, Representa-
tive Shackleford advocates the surren-
der of American right to navigate the
high seas.
''In my judgment" said Shackleford,
"our interest counsels that we should
remain at peace, that we should forego
our rights to navigate the high seas
embraced in the war zones declared
by Great Britain and by Germany than
to wage war to enforce such rights
"We could not wage war without
the expenditure of billions of dollars, y
he continued and declared that war
would mean that thousands of young
men would shed blood and that thou
sands of young women would be de-