The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-02-08
SENATE VOTES
UPHOLD BREAK
WITH GERMANY

Washington, Feb. 8--After a spir-
tied debate in which a strong senti-
ment against war was manifested, the
United States Senate, by vote of Is
to 5, formally approved yesterday the
course of President Wilson in sever
ing diplomatic relations with Ger
many.
Party lines were obliterated, 43 DEM
ocrats and 35 Republicans voting for
the Stone resolution, and two Demo-
Gratis, Kirby and Vardaman, and three
Republicans, Gronna, La Toilette and
Works, voting against it. Senator
O'Gorman was among those absent.
| Whsle the debate was in progress
President Wilson appeared unexpect-
edly at the Capitol. Upon learning
the subject under debate, he left
promptly, returning to the White
House.
Wilson Not Consulted.
Senator Stone, chairman of the Com
mittee on Foreign Relations, cleared
up, early in the debate, the question
as to whether President Wilson had
knowledge of the plan to introduce
| SAAO 1OoOAuIAoIl. hoCIldIOi CHoCA w OOO
had raised the point, whereupon Sem
ator Stone replied:
"The resolution was introduced
without a word of consultation with
the President, and since it's introduce
ton 1 have not seen or talked with
him nor with any executive official re-
lating to the resolution
Il wish to find out" Senator IN
derwOOd rejoined, eff the President,
in the senator's opinion, feels that
the passage Of this resolution will up
hold his hands in this emergency or
not
| II scarcely know what the Presi-
dent thinks or feels about it, said
Senator Stone. Il have had no ex-
preston whatever from him on the
subject
Discussing the resolution, Senator
Stone declared:
Whatever may be the result of the
regrettable international intangle-
ments in which we are now involved
| I do not know. But L want to ex-
press my conviction and hope that we
| will not lose our equilibrium and be
swept off our fe ct, at least at the in
| stance of a for eign power or under
the influence of propaganda put
forth for the purpose of exciting us
/ to war on the side Of one of the bel
| 1igerents. 1t is matter that must
not rest on foreign dictation. Nc
matter what comes, we should take
our own course in our own way.
IT presented this resolution because
| think we ought to let the world
know that we support the President
| whenever he acts within his consti-
tutional powers and speaks for the
| country
Lodge Upholds President.
Senator Lodge, ranking Republican
member of the Committee on For
eign Relations, said:
Gin my opinion, the President did
what was demanded by the honor
safety and future security of the
United States. Under these circum-
stances party lines vanish and any
criticism of the past or any criticism
of the present is silenced for me-
| When my country is in controversy
with a foreign nation I can see for
| myself but one duty, and that is to
stand by and support the recognized
constitutional authority of the gov
eminent.
1.-THE President has taken grave ac-
ton. I feel it my duty TO. support
him to the utmost Of my power. He
is the President of my country. Ano
if, as we all pray, we are to be saved
from the war, there is only one steI
more important than any other; if we
are to preserve our peace it is to show
TO the people Of the country and the
world that we are without divisions
and that we thinl, only of the United
$50
exhibit weakness, and that weakness
will be a temptation that will bring
aggressions that will result in war.
Personal feelings and politica
feelings and political enmities may al
be laid aside that we may remember
that we are all Americans and tina.
our first duty is to stand together il
this controversy, unhappi1y sad. with
a foreign nation. Let us show tina
nation and the world that when ou1
President speaks he has the Congress
and the people Of the United States
no matter of what race or origin, be
hind him in our simple capacity O.
American citizenship"
New Senator Protests
Senator Kirby, the new Democratic
Senator from Arkansas, declared hi
1nC0nIlOI IlOL W SuppOIt Iue ISSOIu
tion.A
ST think it is singularly unfortu
nate" he said, that the resolution
| was placed before the Senate at thi
time. It seems tome >the effect O.
the resolution will be to declare in
preliminary way that the United
States shall go to war"
Senator ,Vardaman said he did no
4 believe the Presidents course wa
justified by the facts or that it wa.
wise.
), "But,'' the Mississippi Senator add
ed, eff war must come, there will bt
no faltering on my part or on the par
of my constituents. I shall vote tt
give the President men and none,
to the last soul and dwindling Earth
ing in the Nations behalf"
Asserting that the United State.
has not been neutral as a Nation
and that if it had the country never
would have been brought to a breach
with Germany, Senator Works of Cal
ifornia protested against the sever
ing of diplomatic relations.
Senator Works said he did no
question the good faith of the Presi
dent and, gave him credit for econ
| "a, trio