The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1917-03-15
THE CLEARING HOUSE
Of Times Readers Ideas
Poindexter
EDITOR THE TIMES:

EDITOR THE TIMES:
When Senator LaFollette start
ed his recent filibuster In the up
per house of congress, the state OF
Washington furnished the first re-
publican in Miles Poindexter to
declare on the floor of the senate
that he was in favor of the armed
neutrality bill.
Immediately upon the sinking
of the Lusitania, Senator Poindex-
ter took an advanced position
upon the protection of American
lives upon the high seas and has
stood consistently for the protec-
ton of Americans by this govern
ment, whether they were in Mex
leo or en- route to Europe.
In reading last night copy of
Senator Poindexter's speech on
the armed neutrality question,
thought perhaps that since none
of the Tacoma papers has printed
any part of il, extracts from the
speech would be interesting to
your readers. The following are
quotations showing the senator's
views:
Germany claims that her sub
marines are very weak; that they
have not heavy armor and cannot
stand an open fight; that IL she
abides by the old rules of vista
ton and search her submarines
will be hurt; that they are liable
nd
that, in substance is the argument;
and so she says, because the OBJ
servance of the immemorial rules
of humanity is dangerous must be
absolyed from them, and that in
order to avoid being sunk, her
submarines shall stealthily APP
proach, regardless of the lives Of
the noncombatants on board, and
send a ship to the depths of the
sea without notice or warning. II
is as though man were engaged
as guard at turnstile where
travellers were going into a fair
ground and should claim that, as
he was a small man and too weak
to stop any one going in without
tickets, he should be allowed to
conceal himself and shoot them
all on sight from ambush.
Now, that is a claim which Ger
many makes. What is the issue
which the United States makes
upon that proposition? So far as
it has been suggested, it is SIM
ply this, that we propose to make
defensive warfare against the Ger
man submarine"
"* in carrying out the au-
thority granted by this bill in
using the guns which this law
would authorize the president to
/ place upon the decks of merch ant
ships German submarines found
in the way would be sunk"
1T seems to me that that house
bilD Is an efficient piece Of legis-
lation. On the contrary when you
take the senate bill, which is in
tended to accomplish the same OBJ
ject, 1t says that the president of
the United States is authorized
and empowered to supply guns
fore and aft In sinking a Ger
man submarine why should we be
limited to guns fore and aft?' Is
it any more amicable to sink
submarine fore and aft than
| broadside." -
There has been some disposition
here and there to hesitate at
granting adequate power to the
executive. | feel no such hesita-
ton, because that is what the ex-
ecutive is for. In the nature of
things, this matter cannot be car
ried out unless there is a certain
amount of discretion vested in the
agent of congress, which will be
the president of the United States,
under the law which we are about
to pass.
Il was just going to say that il
Il the government of the United
States put guns on board Ameri-
can merchant vessels and said to
those merchant vessels: Use these
guns to sink German submarines
1t would be absurd for us to argue
eminent, were not responsible for
1t. am willing to assume that
responsibility, much as regret 1t,
and | am not willing to deny the
responsibility l think we ought
to accept 1t.
"Our rights upon the sea-and
| say this because of the DISPOSE
ton on the part of great many
of our citizens to attach no i'm
portance to our rights upon the
sea, and a more or less widespread
propaganda that we should aban-
don our privileges upon the high
seas--are as important as our
rights upon the land. Our prop
erty and our lives upon the ocean
are as essential as upon the land.
II we are cut off on the sea We
will die on the land. Great as we
are, we must have trade and in
tercourse with the world. The
bread that we put into our mouths
comes in part from our business
upon the ocean.
"Our rights upon the main road
ways of the world are as distinct
and well defined in law as those
. upon the shore, and as necessary
, to be defended. We have grown
into a great and mighty people
because we lie across the highway
, of the nations. Close that high
way, and we cut off the sustenance
; that makes us great"
There may be nominal war,
but there can not be very much OF
an actual Var. We desire no war
with Germany, and will act, ! as
sumo in voting for comforting
these powers upon the president,
in so far only as her attach upon
us makes Il necessary. Between
,Germany and the United States
perhaps fortunately for us in our
present condition, are the fleets
and armies OF the belligerents. No
particular glory can come to us
from conflict with Germany