Evening star., 1917-03-02

AcL1on Oelayeu ny OoJSSeA
The next move in the program OF
putting the United States in state OF
armed neutrality to deal with Germany
! was delayed in the Senate TO-DAY oy
objections of some members, based on
tho exieencies of a parliamentary situ-
alton, until o'clock.
At that hour an effort will be made
to substitute for the armed neutrantS
bill. which last night passed the house
the Senate bill, which corners On th<
President the authority 70 use o.ne'
instrumentalities" in aooltloh ~ ann
This bill has the backing OF the ao-
ministration and is expected TO De later
accepted by the House
The official notice of the Berlin ao-
miralty that all consideration Tor snip
ping ended on March l and that the
Campaign Of ruthlessness now Is II
full swing has not changed the STU
alton any, although its bold deciara-
ton that no special warning Will os
given to any boats by submarines was
reearded in sharp contrast with the
delayed portions of German Foreign
Minister Zimmermann's speech to the
reichstag, spoken before Germany
plot to ally Japan and Mexico Win neI
in a war on the United states was re-
vealed to the world.
Effect of the Confirmation.
Senators who have been curious to
know when the United States govern
ment came into possession OF Zimmer-
mann's astounding dispatch to German
Minister Won Eckhardt. in Mexico City
realized today that the President last
night, in transmitting Secretary Ian
sings cert1ncation of its authenticity.
did not say. as was supposed at nrst
glance. that the government had come
into possession of the document within
the last week, but. without disclosing
when the government got 1t, INFORMED
the Senate that the evidence" OF its
.authenticity" was procured by the
government during the present week
This seemed to confirm the belief OF
many that the President probably knew
of the existence of the document when
he decided to delay no longer In preak.
ing OF diplomatic relations. and that
he certainly knew of 1t, when, urging
the Senate to ratify the treaty with Co
Iomb bia, he wrote Senator Stone that the
limited States might soon have need OF
ali the friends it could get in Latin
America.
Debate on Bill Interrupted.
When the Senate convened today
Senator Stone asked to displace the
naval bill and take up the armed neu-
tra1ity bill. Senator La Toilette de-
Ia we'd the procedure by demanding a
vote.
Senator Stones motion prevailed by
a vote Of "a to Is. and debate on the
hill began, to be interrupted at noon,
consideration Of the naval appropri-
alton bill.
A parliamentary situation. however.
then prevented consideration OF the
bin. and Senator Stone gave notice that
he would move to take it up at o'clock
This afternoon, after the vote on the
naval bill.
Was Not a Test Vote.
The vote on the motion could not be
construed as a test vote on the bill. in
asrnuch as some senators opposed its
consideration then on the ground that
1t was a violation Of the spirit OF the
unanimous consent agreement covering
the naval bill.
Those who voted no were Senators
Bryan, Clapp, Cummins. Curtis. Gronna,
Jones, Kirby. La Toilette. Myers. Nor
ris Page, Sherman, Townsend. Watson
and Works.
In view of that situation there was
no discussion Of the bill as only dfteen
minutes remained before the naval bill
came up automatically. Senator Stone
then asked unanimous consent that it
be taken up at o'clock, when the
naval bill is out of the way. Senator
Gronna of North Dakota, republican.
objected, and Senator Stone gave no.
tice he would move to. take up the neu-
tality bill again at that hour.
Senator Sherman of Illinois had read
to the Senate today a telegram from
the Chicago stats Zeitung, OF which
of the Zimmerman in
structions proposing an alliance with
Germany, Mexico and Japan to make