Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1917-02-28
President ESTABLISH ARMED neutrality.
Authority to Arm Merchantmen and For Such
Other Measures Asked Of Congress.

for authority to use the forces of
he United States to protect Am
crican ships and lives against the
German subn narlne menace, to
out the Nation in state of aruied
neut a ity
The immediate response was
the introduction in the House of
a bill empowering him to furnish
guns and gunners to Amer ican
,)lerchantmeh, "to employ such
other instrumentalities and meth
DDS" as may become necessary,
and providing for a 100000. 900
bond issue to be used in his dis
cretion for war insurance to Ell
courage American commerce to
brave the submarine peril. The
bill may be brought up IN the
House tomorrow with special
rules for its immediate considera.
on.
A similar bill viii be consider
Cd Tomorrow by the Senate TO-
reign relations committee.
The Presidents Tong expected
action, while received ia the main
with expressions OF support,
pareatens 10 force an extra session
q Congress.
| The Republicans, disinclined to
grant him blanket authority while
Congress is in recess, give evi-
dence of opposing the legislation
tie President asks, not tor the
p.s15, pos. Of uit!l'ip;t;ns It, bat TO
.u.ce ban TO have Congress in
s,l4ci4l Sc e>sion 20 take tlani i'll
tAe next steps w;!it,I they feel
viii iuad to w.ir I C hepublic-
ans are receiving passive support
.l5u7 he Detnocr4tir elyD1ent
c'a@..a a. ''pacliiSt'
~. Presidents advisers de-
P ore t!'is a''ua,i ion tor IL? effect
ii Germany. ~!'ere they are con
virt.,,; i. will feed the official iu-
pre- ,si~n tiiat Congress will not
support the President if he fluids
it neces AIRY 10 90 to war and
that h. is ,.o' speaking the senI
nents Of uaited country.
The Presidents 5 request for
auth 'r;ty 10 ::use other lnstTu
men;aitie>" is the principal stick
ing point H:v-il the Republicans
and some oi the Democrats who
hesi "a 10 give hisn what he
asks. ~sy they would be will ng
20 E3>:t !:;;ii authority to arm
Ametj> .,.ii;ss or act Oh 4 te-
lnlte n;op>3at. Dut are reluSt-nt
to "5;g. i II, check u
Tae ADMINISTRATION faces this
division III IL, own ranks in its ef,
fort to convince the Kaiser that
the { i,cl States is now prepar-
ing - cniorce respect for its
rights 0a the high seas, Some
De,';1c*4;s point to he Pre>i
denis uyjf *tatemafit >oqay tila'
he c)n1idered tl2at he had already =
i'm piled authority to act, and
mlg;!t 10 50 without sanction of
Congress Mr. Wilson himself,
however, said he preferred not TO
act On implications, and did not
desire to he left without specific
authority and no Congress to
which to turn. All these things
point toward an extra session, al
though a way out may develop at
the last moment,
But at the conclusion Of the ad-
dress when the President spoke
or the fundamental rights on
which are based the structure sof
family, State and liberty, and
said. 81 cannot imagine any man
with American principles at heart
hesltating to defend these
things,' the cheers broke forth
and resounded through the
chamber.
Whatever might have been the
opinions of some of those who
dissented from his views, it was
plain that they were touched by
his words
At once the wheels Of the con-
gressional machinery began turn
ing. The pacitist element took
stocn Of the war making possibi-
lities of the authority the Presi-
dent requested; Republicans, re-
luctant to leave the next steps to
the President without Congress
close by to take hand, consider,
eG means of forcing an extra ses
sion, and Democrats who support
the President set about doing
! wh at he asked