Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-03-16
Thomas R, Marshall Declares
Chief Executive Has Mass OF
Facts to Show Congress in
Event of War

Mr.. Marshall was oil MS way 10
Americus 10 speak Wednesday night
He will be back in Atlanta Thursday
morning en- route TOR WinstonSalem, \.
G.. returning here again TO speak at
The auditorium Saturday night. lie Is
accompanied by Mrs. Marshall.
I'VE had intended TO go straight on
tic Americas, but our train was late and
we would have missed breakfast" said
lhe vice president, when a reporter saw
aim at the Georgian Terrace hotel Il
San do without nearly anything in the
world but a cup of coffee in the morn
.ng Perhaps / could do without a
cigar but | wouldn't like to. So
topped in Atlanta TO get both.
Mr. Marshall is touring the south on
he All;ahest Lyceum course.
ONLY LITTLE TALKS
Il promised Russell Bridges a year
ago 10 do this" he said. Il wasn't able
TO fill the engagements then because
congress was in session. so l am filling
them now. 1 don't lecture; l don't
make speeches; I'm just giving little
talks In my small way, | want to do
anything ] can to make good Americans.
to help the public realize how inpOr-
tant it is that we stand behind the
president.
For two years and a half the Ameri-
can people have been discussing the
war pro and con. Some have been Tor
the allies and some for the Germans
Now il is time for them to forget the
allies and the Germans and remember
America. 1t was a sorry spectacle in
the last campaign when issues of race
and religion were raised. We have had
enough of half-baksd opinions, of crlti-
cisms of the president He is poor
American who cares more for the king
of England or the emperor of Germany
than he does for the president of the
United States This is no time for any
thing but loyalty and patriotism. ]
conceive it not only my duty, but my
pleasure. TO stand squarely behind the
president III all he does"
Mr. Marshall was shown an Assoc
ciated Press dispatch telling of the
sinking of the American steamer Algon-
Guin.
Il cannot say" he said. whether the
sinking of the Algonquin will be suf-
fCient cause for the president to call
congress together and declare war.
take the position that the foreign rela-
tions of the United States are exclu-
sively for the president and the secre-
tary of state to decide. When the
president thinks the proper time has
come TO declare war, he will lay
a
that the American people will see their
duty plain Nobody wants war,
but there are very few Americans who
will shirk war when war comes"
SECRETS GUARDED.
What is the mass of facts the pres
ident has Mr.. Marshall?" he was asked.
The vice president shook his head
slowly. "He has them" he said, land
7 know what many of them are, but it
would not be proper for me to make
public any of them
Then the vice president switched sud
denly to subject which might be taken
as a depression or not. as you choose.
81 have nothing against newspaper
men" he said, though | guess they've
hit me as much as any man i'm the
United States, but often l have found
their criticisms fair ana that they were
right where | was wrong. They have
made me sorry many times that 1 said
things which l did say. But | have one
fault to find with the newspapers.
know they must print what the public
wants. for they must be readable. There
fore they print details or crime, and
in that way they have aided criminals
many times to escape. The newspapers
always keep the criminals one jump
ahead Of the police by printing adj
vance news"
The vice president paused and pulled
at his cigar
81 cannot tell you what the facts
are which tie president has" he added
Mr.. Marshall was asked what he
thought of the twelve senators who
blocked the ship arming bill.
Il was for the bill, l was against III,
flibuster and l am glad the rule ha:
been changed" he said. However, !
cannot say what l think of those sen.
ators unless you can tell me what il
is men think that makes them act a.
they do. As the presiding officer of the
senate, | do not want to be put into thu
position of criticlsing over the country
the actions of any senator. On futur,
occasions. l want to have the reputation.
of a judicial mind and a square deal
BY the way, that flibuSter did not orig
mate on the ship armng bill. 1t wa
what l would call d double-tilibuster
The Republicans began it to block the
revenue measure and ii was the tall-cnd
OF the filibuSter that operated against
the other bill at the close of the ses,
sion"
As one talked to Mr.. Marshall one
was fOrcibly impressed with the thought
that this was the man who might sud
denly be called upon to direct the ma
tiOn if anything happened to Woodrow
him closely to carry away a picture of
a possible president
A man a trifle below medium height,
sixty years old apparently. with gray
hair and a bristly gray mustache. lie
wore a dark blue suit. a bright cravat
with a scarfpin in it. and shell-rimmed
spectaCles through which his blue-gray
eyes looked squarely but kindly at you
as he talked with a deliberate firmness
that reminded YOU somehow of the way
a physician patiently soothes and heart
ems his patients.
Just as the interview closed, there
came a knock at the door and Mr. Mar
shall opened it for the manicurlst,
pretty girl with bright brown eyes who
smiled and seemed tremendously OK
cited that she was gong 10 manicure
the nails of the vice president.
And as Mr. Marshall nodded goodby
and seated himself al the small table
with the maniCurist opposite. the report
er was smitten with the qualm that. aft
or all. he had missed the real story. 1t
was all very well to set Mr.. MarshalrS
opinion on war, but wouldn't it be far
more interesting to know what an At
lanta manicurist talked about with the
vice president of the United States?