The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1917-03-05
ARMED NEUTRALITY
MEASURE FAILS
IL Senators Defied Will of
Majority in Congress and
Denied President Power to
Arm American Merchant
Ships to Meet German
Submarine Crisis-Mani-
festo Places Blame.
Washington Dispatch, March 4.

Washington Dispatch, March a.
Twelve senators, led by Senator
IaFollette and encouraged by en-
ator Stone, Democratic chairman of
4be foreign relations committee, in
a filibuster denounced by President
Wilson's spokesman as the most rep
rehensible in the history of any civil
jzed nation, defied the will of an ov-
ervhelming majority in Congress up
4o the last minute today and denied
to the President a law authorizing
him TO arm American merchant ships
to meet the German submarine men,
ace.
Unyielding throughout 26 hours
of continuous session to appeals that
thei. defiance of the President would
be humiliating to the country; un-
compromising in a crisis described to
them as the most serious to the ma
ton since the War Between the
States, LaFollette and his group of
supporters refused majority Of
their colleagues an opportunity to
vote on the armed neutrality bill and
It died with the Sixty-fourth Con-
gress. =,
To fix responsibility before the
country, 76 senators, 80 Republicans
and 46 Democrats, signed a mani
festo proclaiming to the world that
they favored passage of the meas
ure.
This declaration, embodied in the
recond of the Senate, referred to the
fact that the House Tuesday night
had passed a similar bill by vote
of 403 to 13, and also recited that
the Senate rule permitting unlimited
debate gave a small minority oppor-
tunity to throttle the will of the ma
jority. The text of the manifesto is
as follows:
"The majority of United States sen
ators favored the passage of the
Senate bill authorizing the President
of the United States to arm. Ameri
can merchant vessels, a similar bill
having already passed the House b!
a vote of 403 to IS.
"Under the rules of the Senate al
lowing debate, it appears to be i'm
possible to obtain a vote previous t.
noon, March 4, 1917, when this ses
sion of Congress expires. We desir
the statement entered upon the rec
ord to establish the fact that tn
Senate favored tie legislation an
would pass it if a vote could be Oh
tained,"
Thirteen senators declined to sig
the declaration, but one senator, Per
rose, Republican, of Pennsylvania
announced that he would have vote
for the bill had opportunity been OF
fered him. The II who went on re
cord with the 13 members OF tn
House against granting to Preside1
Wilson the authority in the crls!
were; T. -''
" Those Who Filibustered.
Republicans 49, Clapp, Minnesota
Cummings, Iowa; Gronna, North d
kota; Kenyon, Iowa; LaFollette. VII
consin; Norris, Nebraska; Work
California;. tf'
Democrats-Kirby, Arkansas; Ian
Oregon; O'Gorman, New York; Ston
Missouri; Vardaman, Mississippi.
Associated with them in opposite
to the armed neutrality bill were tt
following 13 representatives who vo
ed against the House bill Thursds
night:
Republicans-Benedict, Californi
Cary, Wisconsin; Cooper, Wisconsin
Davis, Minnesota; Helgezen, Nor
Dakota; Lindbergh, Minnesota; Ne
son, Wisconsin; Stafford, Wisconsin
Wilson, Illinois-9.
Democrats - Decker, Missouri
Shackleford, Missouri; Sherwoo
Ohio-3.
Socialist-London, New York.
Members Signing Manifesto. =,
The rs senator's who signed t
manifesto were:
Democrats - Ashurst, Bankhes
Bryan, Beckham, Broussard, Char
berlain, Chiffon, Fletcher, Hardwie
Hitchcock, Hollis, Hughes, Hustine
James, Johnson Of South Dakot
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