The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1917-04-11
AMERICA FORMALLY
ENTERS THE WAR
With GERMANY
Congress Declares a State of
War Exists With the Impe-
rial Government.
HEATED DEBATE IN SENATE
Ia Toilette, Grcana, Stone, Norris,
Vardaman and Lane Vote Against
ResoIution-Great Majority
for the Measure in the
Lower House.

Washington, April 6.-The United
States Is now formally at war with
Germany. In response to the presi-
dents message congress has adopted
the resolution declaring that state
Of war exists between the two coun-
tries.
The senate was the first to act on
the war resolution and adopted 1t by a
vote of 80 to 6. The six senators who
voted against the resolution for war
were:
AISLE }. GRoNNA, Republican,
North Dakota.
HARRY LANE, Democrat, Oregon.
r. M. LA TOILETTE, Republican,
Wisconsin.
c. w. NORRIS, Republican, Me-
braska.
WILLIAM J. STONE, Democrat,
Missouri.
}. K. vARDAMAN, Democrat, Mis-
sissippi.
There were eight senator's absent or
paired. They were: Bankhead, Golf,
Gore, Hollis, Newlands, Smith Of
Maryland, Thomas, and Tillman. Of
those absent 1t was announced that all
except Senator Gore of Oklahoma
would have voted for the resolution if
present.
All six of the senators who voted
against the resolution were members
Of the group Of twelve which de-
feated the armed neutrality bill at the
last session. There was no attempt
to f1libuster this time. however.
Thirteen Hour Debate.
Thirteen hours of heated debate
preceded the vote. Party lines dis
appeared in this discussion and Repub-
licans joined with Democrats in sound
ing the call to the nation to support
the president unitedly.
The little group opposed to the reso-
luton drew fire from every side. Sen
ator La Toilette, defending Germany
and heaping blame upon England, was
informed by Senator Williams that DR..
Won Bethmann-Hollweg the German
chancellor, would have made the same
speech in the reichstag had he been
imbued with sufficient effrontery.
Senator Norris, charging that the
United States is going to war at the
behest of the munitiOn barons of Wall
street, drew from Senator Reed the re-
tort that such an accusation is sal
most treason"
The assertion that the nation was GO
Ing to war on the demand of gold, he
said, was IAN indictment of the presi-
dent of the United States, an indict-
ment Of congress, of the American peo-
pie, and Of the truth"
'"The president is not calling Amer
lea to arms for the sake of a few
paltry dollars" Senator Reed contin-
ued, "but for the life, honor, and In
tegrity of this country"
introduced by Hitchcock.
In introducing the resolution into
the senate, Senator Hitchcock made a
brief statement in which he said that
the present time was one "for action,
not discussion"
"The time for discussion has
passed." he said. ''The president has
stated clearly, effectively, more con-
clusively the reasons which make this
grave step necessary. The resolution
provides for war against the imperial
German government. It places re-
sponsibility for the war squarely upon
the shoulders of the German govern
ment, charged with repeated acts of
war against the United States.
ave want no more territory. We
will demand no indemnity. We have
no grudge to settle, nor racial anti
pathy. We will spend our treasure
and our blood and sacrifice our lives
without the thought of gain. We are
going to war to vindicate our honor
and independence as a great nation
and in defense of humanity.
"Such quarrel as we have with Ger
many is not Of our choosing. It was
forced upon us and we did much to
avoid it. For nearly three years the
president, congress, and the American
people have hoped to avoid it. But
one desperate act by the imperial Ger
man government has followed an
other"
German Pledges Broken.
Senator Hitchcock was followed by
Senator Swanson Of Virginia, who said
the German government "has repeat