The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-02-22
WILL PRESENT CLEAR,
FORCEFUL STATEMENT
OF NEEDED LEGISLATION
Great Britain S Act In Another
tightening Blockade Will
Have No Effect On lnterna-
tsoaal Qs,estions-Iurke to
+ oil w German Lead
by T.. II SARTNi.i.L
International News stan tUrtt~Ion-
dent


NHshnreton Feb. 2l.--Fun ana
complete authority to take any action
necessary to meet any cEentuality
growing ont Of the German crisis VIII
be requested of congress 10y President
Wilson next week. The president Will
appear personally before toin5 sss"
sion Of the house and senate and ask
for leg Station empowering him %
handle the international situation a.
tee congress aaiourns On March 1
While no Official announcement of
This decision was male, authority
close So the White House stated that
the president rad determined on thls
,.nt.ec as the best means of meeting
the tangled inferno tt9nal situation.
There was no announcement IS 10
what SPECIFIC powers the president
viii ask for. bat II vas understood
taat ne proposes 20 seek full aUthori =
10 use the military and naval forces
to defend American rights on the sea.
IN hts discretion.
Would >soid misunderstanding.
TIE president decided OH this
course. Il was stated tonight. because
l. believed It would arouse less ms
understanding and distr%4st both IN the
1N3t.3 States aud abroad. than any
uthcr means OF making adequate pro-
posalS to meet the situation. The
administration feels that a call for
an extra session of congress after
March would be interpreted atroa d.
probably IN Germany, as indicating a
determination To declare war This
Re particularly desires ia avoid. y
was stated that the president * ex-
sremelv anxious that no move made
Nv this government SHOULD serve 10
Hrgravate the controVersF with Ger
many He believes that to secure
Whatever authority that may 6c nee
sSszry. to he used in his own discre
zion and then allow congress 20 leave
Washington without the necessity fos
m extra session il further bronx
with Germany becomes necessary,
WI cause less friction than any other
xourse.
It was stated that the president
will go before congress probably early
next week. and that he will have
prepared a clear. forceful Statement
Of the legislation he believes neces-
.arv lie Will ask for immediate ar-
Restrictions frightened.
The international situation was 'ur
cher complicated tonight by unoffica
reports that Great Britain has ma
ter,ally frightened her blockade re-
strtrtions on neutral commerce,
state department officials said they
had no of1cial advices on the sub
tect. and refused 10 discuss the de-
~elopment II was pointed out. how
aver that the new British order ad-
hnrcx In the principle Of visit and
search" and that heretofore the ad
.oinistration has held that matters
which affect only commerce and
property were 20 he settled by nego-
tiations and not nv aggressive action
This was the position taken when the
.r{rinal British blockade WIS declared
and II was believed tonight tho adj
,,inistration would so no further than
n formal protest against the brltiSh
orders at this time.
Couched i'm Vigorous Terms.
~ was formally admitted Mt the
state department today that the last
communication to Germany regard =
inc the sevcnty-two Sarrowdale prs
cnrrs was an unequivocal demand for
their release Secretary Lansing said
that former inquiries had failed TO
elicit desired information and that
no final demand was couched in
yfworous language. II was. stated.
soveyer that the note fixed no time
ltr,i, for the release. and that II did
NOT Announce what course would he
/ followed II the men were further de-
tanned
IN This connection il was empha
siyad that the submarine campaign
ia Nh, big question in dispute between
the Two countries, and that collateral
matters will not he allowed to cloud
The issue. II was stated that only the
reversal or modification of the Ger
man declaration of ruthless war on
shipping can alleviate the strained
situation.
No News From Vtc"a'
The state department We .thout
adytces from Ambassador Peudeld at
Vienna rs tn the position OF austria
an The submarine campaign. IT was
evpected that the definite demand for
&. statan,cnt would be complied with
hv the Austrian. foreign o m c
promptly The state department is
rxtremely anxious To avoid break
wItf, Austria, in order to guarantee