Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1917-03-08
REVEALS US,
PlANACAINS1
SUBMARINES
Administration Fears Efforts Of
Two Senators May Bar
Armed Neutrality
Measure.
PEACE PLANS ARE TREASON?
Zimmerman Dispatch Adds to
Excitement, Interesting Those
Who Charged Letter Was
a British Forgery.
PEACE PLANS ARE TREASON?

Washington, March 5-Senatos
Stone. chairman Of the foreign re-
lations committee. who is opposing
the armed neutrality bill as it
stands, warned the Senate this aft
moo that to take the action pro-
posed and seek TO drive submarines
from the paths of commerce would
be war.
Late today there was much I'M
certainty as to whether the armed
neutrality bill would pass in any
form. 1t is doubtful whether any
more appropriation bills will be al
lowed to pas and, even the naval
bin. though 1t has passed both
houses, may fail because 1t Went to
conference and there is as yet no
assurance n conference report can
be adopted.
Washington, March SENATOR Stone
told the Senate today he had heard that
navy experts had devised n plan for
protection Of American merchant ships
whereby they would be equipped with
small submarine chasing boats to be
lowered in the danger zone to scout for
hostile craft and attack them.
After an executive session in which
Secretary McAdoo participated. the
House ways and means committee to-
day reported favorably the resolution
to authorize a $3.50, 900, 900 bond issue
for hurrying naval construction. I'm
limited power for the president to
spend the money as he will. either for
projects, was denied by the committee
despite vigorous efforts Of democrats
to obtain it.
Senator Stone. it was declared, was
determined to fight for his amendment
which would withhold protection from
49, W, a 49,, E,~
Toilette, who yielded q point late last
night in permitting an advance in the
parliamentary position of the bill, was
ready to make q long speech against
1t. When debate was resumed today
Senator Hitchcock, to perfect the bills
parliamentary status, had the Senate
draft, with two slight amendments, sub
stituted after the enacting clause for
the House text.
If we want to enter into the war, il
the occasion Is as grave as some of the
senators say, let III ia So" Senator
Stone said. I'VE have the right, the
power to say so. Congress is the only
has the right, and 1 am unwilling to
establish the precedent Of shifting the
war responsibility to the president of
the United States"
Peace Talk Near Treason.
One amendment eliminates the pro-
vision for arning American merchant
ment fore n aft thus removing
specific direction as to armament. The
other prevents United States protection
for foreign ships.
Senator B~randegee, republican of
Connecticut, called h German pro-
hibited zone an ambush where Ger
many lay in wait tt zeal death to any
n who entered against her edict Great
ing it.
ssTNho mn t.
poets, closely approaches treason he
said.
Senator Sherman presented today's
news dispatches from Berlin, bringing
Foreign Minister Zimmermann's ad.
mission of the attempted intrigue with
Japan and Mexico.
Senators manifested such keen inter-
est in the dispatches that they were
read twice. Senators who had been
inclined to denounce the celebrated
zimmerman instructions as a forgery
or a British plot showed particular in
terest.
Are we going to lie down on our
stein trample over us ruthlessly?"
Means Early War.
Said Senator Brandegee: * am not
deceived by the effect Of this bill. The
effect will be that the next passenger
or freight ship with American gunners
aboard, which attempts to enter a
British or neutral port in the zone.
will be attacked by a German sub
marine. That means that there will
be war if this country is fit to live. II,
~perchance, our defensive gunners
hould sink a submarine that would
near war"
Senator B~randegee declared, with
emphasis, that a state of war already
existed and had existed between the
United States and Germany since
February 1.
Germany declared war on the whole
world in issuing this proclamation"
he asserted.
Mr.. Brandegee urged the passage of
the pending measure n not the house
bill, because by its terms the status
Of officers or men on a merchant ship
resisting attack from a war vessel
would be clearly established under
American law and they could not be
treated as pirates as they might be
treated without such a law.
Il a such men," he said. ITO be
treated as prisoners of war, acting. I'M
der the authority Of the American con-
gress n not to be hung at the yard
arm as pirates"
An