The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1917-02-27
SPECIAL SESSION.
APPARENT AIM Of
REPUBLICANS
BaIk at Granting Blanket Authority
to President
SOME DEMOCRATIC SUPPORT
Minority Members of Congress Hest.
tate to Pass Beyond Definite
Concessions.

! ate response to the presidents re-
quest for authority to use force in
/ the protection of American ships and
lives was the introduction in the house
of bill, approved in advance by the
president. empowering him to provide
guns and gunners for American mer-
chantmen and to :" employ such other
instrumentalities and methods" as
may become necessary; and providing
for a SIC, 900, 900 bond issue to be used
in his discretion for war insurance.
| to encourage American commerce to
brave the submarine peril. The bill
may be brought up in the house tomor-
| row with special rules for its immedi-
ate consideration.
A similar bill will be considered to-
morrow by the senate foreign rela-
tions committee.
The presidents long expected ac-
tion. while received in the main with
expressions OF support, threatens to
| force an extra session of congress.
Republicans, disinclined to grant
blanket authority while congress is in
recess, give evidence of opposing the
| legislation the president asks, not for
the purpose Of Withholding 1t. but to
force him to have congress in special
session, to take hand in the next
steps, which they feel will lead to war.
The republicans are receiving passive
| support from the democratic element
classed as pacifists. -
The presidents advisers deplore
this situation for its effect in Germany
where they are convinced it will feed
the official impression that congress
will not support the president, if he
finds 1t necessary to go to war, and
that he is not speaking the sentiments
of united country
The presidents request for authori-
ty to use ''other instrumentalities" is
the principal sticking point. Even the
republicans, and some of the demo-
Gratis who hesitate to give him what
he asks, say they would be willing to
give him authority to arm American
ships or act on definite proposal, but
are reluctant ito sign blank check"
Although President Wilson told con-
gress he was not acting because of the
long-feared overt act" news of the
destruction of the Cunard liner La
coma, with Americans aboard, was re-
ceived here as he was entering the
doors of the Capitol and was passed
from mouth to mouth through con-
gress while he was speaking. Lacking
details, it's seriousness could not be
estimated, but it was apparent every
where that it gave weight to the pres
ident words. s3
But the president made it clear that
America was asking to exercise none
but the rights of peace; that he was
not proposing nor contemplating war.
He was thinking. he said, of the right
of life itself, the rights OF humanity
without which there is no civiliza-
tion"-rights deeper and more funda-
mental than merely the rights Of
Americans.
Four weeks of unrestricted warfare,
the president told congress, has seen
the destruction of at least two Ameri-
can ships, American commerce driven
in large measure from the seas
through fear of the underseas peril,
and resulting congestion of Ameri-
cas- vital industries growing more
serious every day.
The fact that more American lives
had not been lost, he said, was due
more to the fact that German sub
marine commanders had exercised an
unexpected discretion and restraint"
rather than because OF the instruc-
tions under which they were acting.
To be unprepared, with congress out
of session the president said. would be
most imprudent," consequently he
asked for authority to act. Standing
at the clerks desk in the hall. calm,
grave. speaking earnestly, the presi-
dent delivered his address while con
gress sat in silence. BY common con-
sent the members refrained from
demonstration as If in respect to the
dignity and fatefulness Of the mo-
ment
But at the conclusion OF the address,
when the president spoke of the fund
amental rights on which are based
the structure of family, state and lib
erty, and said: 81 cannot imagine any
man with American principles at his
heart, hesitating to defend these
things" the cheers broke forth and
resounded through the chamber.