Middletown transcript., 1917-03-17
WILSON ORDERS
| LINERS ARMED
Calls Extra Session of Congress
to Meet on April IS.
TO PROTECT MERCHANTMEN
Navy Yards, With Equipment Already
Assembled, Will Hasten Prepara-
tion OF Ships For
Sailing.

| Washington. President Wilson or
dered the arming of American mer-
chant ships against Germany's ruthless
submarine warfare, and at the same
time issued a proclamation calling an
extra session of Congress to meet
April 16.
The Presidents decision was made
following the action of the Senate IN
revising its rules to permit prompt
action on important questions and the
submission of formal opinions by Sec
retary Lansing and Attorney-General
Gregory that he has the power to arm
merchantmen without action by Con-
gress.
Mr.. Wilson has the backing Of the
entire Cabinet in taking the step.
Guns for arming merchantmen have
been assembled at navy yards along
the Atlantic Coast and everything is
ready to carry out the policy an
nounced by the President.
Action To Be Taken Without Delay.
Details of the Governments armed
neutrality plans for defending the
merchant marine were withheld to
avoid endangering Americans and
their ships by permitting the informa-
ton to reach Germany. The only
statement at the White House and the
Navy Department was that the Presl-
dent was determined fully to protect
American rights.
1t was learned definitely that some
American merchant ships sailing for
the submarine zone will be armed by
the Government at once. Preliminary
arrangements have been completed
and it is expected that vessels will be
ready to sail in the near future.
The decision, coming at the end of
period of tense waiting, was general
ly hailed as the natural and unavoid-
able next step in the policy adopted
by the President when he broke off
diplomatic relations with Germany and
gave warning that the United States
could not tolerate attacks on Ameri-
can ships and citizens in violation of
international law.
Fraught with the grave possibility
of war with Germany, the action was
taken by President Wilson only after
he was convinced that Germany actu-
ally was proceeding with her campaign
of ruthlessness, and had made efforts
to plot with Mexico and Japan against
the territorial integrity of the United
States.
Presidents Proclamation.
The text of the proclamation fol-
lows:
Whereas public interests require
that the Congress of the United
States should be convened in extra
session at o'clock noon on the six
teenth day of April, 1917, to receive
such communications as may be made
by the Executive.
"Now, therefore, 1, Woodrow Wilson,
President of the United States of
America, do hereby proclaim and de-
clare that an extraordinary occasion
requires the Congress of the United
States to convene in extra session at
the Capitol in the city of Washington
on the sixteenth day of April, 1917, at
IL o'clock noon, of which all persons
who shall at that time be entitled to
act as members thereof are hereby re-
quired to take notice.
"Given under my hand and the seal
Of tae United States of America, the
ninth day of March, in the year of our
Lord one thousand nine hundred and
seventeen, and of the independence of
the United States, the one hundred
and forty-first.'