Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1917-12-13
UNITED STATES
DECLARES WAR
ON AUSTRIA
Wilson Signs Resolution Passed
by Congress.
ONLY mo" BY SOCIALIST
Rep. London Votes Against Act-La
Toilette Absent During Voting
Stone Declares Vienna Is Linked
With Germany and War
Already Exists.

Washington, Dec. 8.-The United
States is at war with the Austrian en-
pire.
The final act between America and
Germany's strongest ally was enacted
at . :O3 o'clock Friday afternoon when
President Wilson placed his signature
TO the resolution passed by the senate
and house declaring the existence of
a state of war between the United
States and Austria.
President Wilson's signature to the
resolution followed those of Vice Pres
ident Marshall, presiding officer of the
senate, and Champ Clark, speaker of
the house.
The resolution in the senate was
adopted by vote of "A to 0, Senator
La Toilette not voting, he having with
drawn just before the roll call was
started.
Senators Gronna of North Dakota,
Norris of Nebraska and Vardaman of
Mississippi, who voted against the
German war declaration, supported
the resolution. Senator La Toilette of
Wisconsin left during the speechmak-
ing, and did not cast his vote.
Some time after the voting was over
La Toilette returned to the senate
chamber and announced that he would
have voted against the Austrian war
declaration had he been present. He
denied that he had any intention of
absenting himself from the chamber
to escape voting.
Socialist Cast Negative Vote.
The house, after considerable de-
bate, adopted the senate resolution by
q vote of 1868 to 1, Representative
London, Socialist, of New York cast
ing the negative vote.
Chairman Stone of the senate for
eign relations committee presented the
resolution and moved it's immediate
adoption.
Besides the reasons that Austria is
Germanys active ally and as such has
committed W"rlike acts against the
United States Senator Stone declared
there was the further reason that mas
much as Italy, France and Belgium
comprised one battle front, American
troops might at any time be facing
AuStrianS.
Text of Resolution.
The text of the joint resolution de-
claring war on Austria follows:
"Jont resolution.
"Decaring that a state of war ex-
lists between the imperial and royal
AustrO-Hungarian government and the
United States and making provision
to prosecute the same.
"Whereas, The imperial and royal
AustrO-Hungarian government has
committed repeated acts of war
against the government and the peo-
pie of the United States of America;
therefore, be it
"Resolved, by the senate and house
of representatives of the United States
of America, in congress assembled
That Il state of war is hereby declared
to exist between the United States of
America and the imperial and royal
AustrO-Hungarian government; and
that the president be, and he is here
bv authorized and directed to employ
the entire naval and military forces
of the United States and the resources
of the government to carry on war
against the imperial and royal Austro-
Hungarian government; and to bring
the conflict to a successful terminal
ton all the resources Of the country
are hereby pledged by the congress of
the United States"