Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-03-09
PRESIDENT WILL ACT
DURING PRESENT WEEK
is BELIEF IN CAPITAL
Some Officials Believe Amer
lean Ships viii Be Armed
Without Waiting for Author
ity From Congress

WASHINGTON. March Solicitations
accumulated today that President Will
son is likely to act at any time in the
situation caused by Germany's announce
ment of ruthless submarine warfare. Al
though the president was kept in bed by
a. cold, it was said he was still consid-
ering the subject.
In some administration quarters II
was believed the president is certain to
act this week, but other officials took
the position that he would wait until
the senate has had an opportunity to
revise it's rules.
Mr.. Wilson has been advised that he
has sufficient power to arm American
merchantmen without waiting for &C
ton by congress, and some officials be-
lieve he will act on this advice forth
with.
On the other hand a strong senti-
ment undoubtedly exists in the adminz
istration for the president to take az
ton along the line calling an extra se5s
sion of congress to meet in the very
near future.
Reports given to the president agree
that the senate rule will be revised
quickly so that if an extra session is
called it would be possible to get prompt
action on an armed neutrality resolu-
ton.
Inasmu6h as there is a general agree
ment that an extra session is necessary
some time before July l, because of the
failure of important appropriation bills
during the last session, a disposition
was apparent today among officials to
advise MIR. Wilson to call an extra ses-
sion at once
LEWIS RESOLUTION.
Senator Lewis. Democratic whip. v %
introduce a resolution today declaring
it to be the sense Of the senate that
the president by virtue of the power
of his office" has the right to protect
commerce to foreign nations equally
with commerce between the states
The resolution is not considered 70
have effect except as an expression of
the sentiment OF the senate if it IS
adopted.
The resolution further declares the
presidents authority IS not related to
the power to declare war but is derived
from his right as head civil officer Of
the federal government to execute the
laws fostering commerce. The text fol-
lows:
BE it resolved by the United States
senate that it is the sense of the senate
that the president of the United States
has, by virtue of power of his office
under the constitution and laws of the
United States, the right to protect COM
merce destined from the United States
to foreign nations, to the same extent
that he has to protect interstate COM
merce between. the states and in the navi-
gable waters of the United States.
BE it resolved that it is the sense
of the senate that this power is not de-
rived nor necessarily related to any of
the provisions of the constitution or
laws that have to do with declaring war,
but is derived from the power vested
in the president as head civil officer OF
the United States government to execute
those provisions of the constitution and
laws which relate to the fostering OF
commerce between the United States and
foreign nations.
BE il resolved that to secure proper
protection of commerce between nations
the president of the United States has
the power to protect commerce destined
to foreign countries by all the means lie
has the right to employ for the protec-
ton of commerce between the states"