The Sentinel=record., 1917-02-28

efforts of others to have it stimulate
 that ships carrying munitions or COT
 traband should not be furnished arms After the first meeting Chairman l Flood conferred with Postmaster Ger
 eral Burleson and learned that tn 1 president would object to any ma terial change in the bill as presented
 The state department also let it be , known that an amendment exemptin, vessels carrying contraband would bt very objectionable, both because fl would be uDwarrantable discrimina 'tion and because it would open the way for endless controversy over what was contraband.
 The bill agreed upon by the senate committee would authorize the presL dent to supply merchant vessels oftho United States with defensive arms
 fore and aft, ammunition and gnnners and also empower him to employ
 such other instrumentalites and
 methods" as he deems necessary to
 protect vessels and citizens of the United States on the high seas. The bill further includes the Sl00,OG0, ,OO0 bond issue as provided in the house bill.
 Four senators, three democrats and one republican, Stone, Hitchcock OGorman and Smith of Michigan were opposed to the main section of the mo. tion to report the bill in it's final form.
 One of the principa, differences in the bill from the measure as submit. ted to the house is provision which authorizes commanders and crews of all merchant vessels to arm and de fend their own vessels against unlaw- ful attacks. This was taken from an anti-piracy statute adopted by the gov ernment in 1919.
 The committee also voted 10 elimi- nate the original form recommended by the president the words should it in his judgement become necessary for him to do so," applied to the auth orization to arm the ships. This was stricken out because the majority of the committee believed carried the implication that the emergency de- manding the arming of ships had not yet arrived, when it is their opinion that the emergency does exist and has existed for some time. Senators Stone, Hitchcock and OGorman opposed the measure as flna1ly drafted principally because of refusal of the committee to accept an amendment by Senator Stone which would withhold protec- ton from American ships carrying munitions of war. Senator Smith of Michigan also favored the amendment and he further opposed retention in the measure o5 the clause authoriz ing the president to employ "other ilstrumentalities." Senator McCum. Der of North Dakota joined him, to- gethar with Senators Stone and O'GoE man in this vote.
 Those opposed to the measure also sought to limit it by 6 provision which woald prevent the president from plac- lQE RNuhNIS bL l4it navy OiA HA AA''~NN merchant ships. This proposal was re- iected. An amendment submitted by Senators who sought to direct ini- mediate arming of ships would have authorized the president to convoy merchant vessels win warships This was rejected
 Regarding retention of the clause giving the president blanket power to handle the proposition, senators gen orally acknowledged that the president was entitled to the power and that 1t was difficult to find words making spch powers more pecific.
 50 far as some of us are concern ed said Senator Sutherland. repnnli- can members of the committee. we do not fear giving the president too much power. What we fea" "a that he will not utilize enough power