White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1917-03-09
PRESIDENT BLOCKED
IN ARM|NG SHIPS
TELLS PEOPLE OF THE UNITED
STATES HE is PoWERLEss
TO ACT.
few IN CONGRESS, TIE IT UP
Unlimited Debate BIamed-our Mer
chant Ships Without Protection
From German Submarines
Some Opposed.

Washington, March president
Wilson tonight informed the country,
in a statement, that he may be with
out power to arm merchant ships and
take other steps to meet the German
submarine menace, in the absence of
authority from congress.
The president issued statement
declaring that through the action of
few senators it has proved impos-
sible to have passed legislation meet
ing the present critical international
situation and other bills of vast i'm
portance to the nation.
An extra session of congress, the
president says, is required to clothe
him with authority, but it is useless
to call one while the senate works
under the present rules, which per-
nit small minority to keep an over
whelming majority from acting.
The president proposes, therefore,
that the special session of the senate
which he has called to meet tomor-
row, revise the rules, ito supply the
means of action and save the country
from disaster"
Deed of "WiIful Men,"
"a little group of wilful men," says
the president in his statement "rep-
resenting no opinion but their own,
have rendered the great government
Of the United States helpless and
contemplate"
La Toilette Led Opposition.
Twelve senators, led by Senator La
Toilette and encouraged by Senator
| Stone, democratic chairman of the for
eign relations committee, in filibus
ter denounced by President Wilson'S
spokesman as the most reprehensible
in the history of any civilized nation
defied the will of an Overwhelming
majority in congress up to the last
minute and denied to the president a
law authorizing him to arm American
merchant ships to meet the German
menace.
Unyielding throughout 26 hours of
continuous session to appeals that
their defiance Of the president would
| be humiliating 10 the country; uncom.
promising in crisis described to them
as the most serious to the nation since
the civil war, La Toilette and his small
group of supporters refused a major
ity of their colleagues an opportunity
to vote on the armed neutrality bill
and it died with the Sixty-fourth con
gress at noon.
rs Declare for Passage.
To fix responsibility before the
country rs senator's, 80 republican:
and as democrats, signed manifesto
proclaiming to the world that they ia
vored passage Of the measure.
This declaration, embodied in the
record of the senate, referred to the
fact that the house Thursday night ha6
passed similar bill by vote of 40;
to 10 and also recited that the senate
rule permitting unlimited debate gave
small minority opportunity to throt
tie the will of the majority.
| Thirteen senators declined to sig1
the declaration, but Senator Penrose
republican, Of Pennsylvania, announc
ed that he would have voted for the
bill had opportunity been afforded tt
him.
Republicans: Democrats:
Clapp, MINI. Kirby, Ark.
Cummins, Iowa. Lane, Ore.
Gronna, N. N. O'Gorman, N. Y.
4 Kenyon, Iowa. Stone, Mo.
La Toilette, Wis. Vardaman, Miss.
Norris, Neb.
Works, Cal.
4 Associated with them in opposition
to the armed neutrality bill were thu
following representatives who votet
against the house bill Thursday night
Opposition in House.
Republicans: Democrats:
Benedict, Cal. Decker, Mo.
Cary, Wis. Shackleford, Mo.
Cooper, Wis. Sherwood, Ohio.
Davis, MINI. Socialist:
Helgesen, N. D. London, N. Y.
, Lindberg, Mimi.
Nalson Wis