The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-03-03
Senator Stone, Mouthpiece
for Wilson in the Senate,
Withdrew from That Po-
sition and Tried to Get an
Amendment Providin G
That Guns Should Not Be
Placed on MunitiOns-C Car
rying Ships

Washington, D. c., March s.-Discus
sion of the armed neutrality bill was
resumed in the Senate to-day with Sen
ator Stone insisting upon his amendment
to withhold protection of munitions.
carrying ships. Repeated reference was
made in the discussions to the report
from Berlin, containing Foreign Minis,
ter Zimmermann's admission of an at,
tempted intrigue with Japan and Mex,
! leo.
Senators who had been inclined to de-
nounce the celebrated Zimmerman in
structions as forgery or British plot
showed particular interest in the dis
tpatehes. Senator Brandegee declared
with emphasis that d state Of war al
ready existed between Germany and the
United States and had since Feb. /. He
stated that he and some other members
OF the foreign relations committee want.
ed to amend the bill to direct the presi-
dent TO arm American merchantmen and
not merely TO authorize him to do so.
The discussion was started at 10
o'clock following an adjournment at
l2:45 thi- morning. The senators had
spent more than eight hours In debate Of
the bill when the adjournment was tax
en-. The agreement TO adjourn was
reached after Senator LaFollette had
withdrawn his objections TO taking up
the bill as passed by the House with
view to substituting for it the broad
Senate measure approved by the presi-
dent.
The measure which the White House
has announced ii desires as substitute
for the less sweeping bill passed by the
House developed little evidence of deter
mined opposition. II geye senators a
long awaited opportunity, however, to
declare their convictions in the interna-
tionsl crisis and the debate proceeded
with deiberation, despite the knowledge
that it is now Senate action on which
the president Is waiting.
There were no party lines and most
of the pacifst element of the Senate de-
elsred a willingness to fall In behind the
president in his move for an armed poll
icy.
Senator Stone, head Of the foreign re.
lations committee, however, by virtue Of
his position the logical administration
spokesman on such questions, withdrew
from the task as soon as the armed neu-
trality bill was brought in by his com
mittee. He said candor would not per
nit him to take the floor for the meas
ure and submitted an amendment to
exempt munitions carrying ships from
the protection TO be extended other mer-
chantmen.
To Senator Hitchcock and Senator
Lodge. the ranking Democratic and Re
publican committeeman, fell the leader
ship. Senator LaFollette, about whose
attitude there had been some uneasiness, |
announced that he would talk at length !
on the bill, but had no intention of fill |
clustering.
The Senate bill, in addition to author |
izing the arming of merchant ships, |
would extend the authority requested by |
the president for use Of "other instri- /
in protecting American /
rights. That feature was omitted from I
he House bill, which also contained a
prohibition Objectionable to the president I
against the insurance by the war risk /
bureau of vessels laden with munitions.
More than one senator declared pas
age Of the Senate bill would mean war
.ooner or later. but almost without ex-
.eption they added that they were ready 4.
% accept war on those terms. A few in
,isted that it would not mean war.