Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-04-05
HOUSE HAS
WAR RESOLUTION
Continued from page ~


Wide latitude is given the military
heads in selecting the units of the
new army Only those In their TWEEN
ties. probably those from 20 to %
years old. will be taken. They will be
single men, With no dependents, foot
loose and to all intents and purposes
heart-free. The men from % to 30
/ will constitute the nations second line
OF defense, from 30 to 80, the third,
and by the time those are trained--if
sters will have sprung up to permit
/ the formation of another army OF
twenties. After almost two hundred
years of volunteer armies, with all the
mistakes that such ,oose system
must involve, the United States has
at last a plan of efficient defense OF
the nation in the view of army men.
! Bill Up for Discussion.
Washington, April 5.-The Flood
Martin resolution declaring that a
/ state of war exists between the United
/ States and Germany. was called up for
debate in the House this morning at
I 1913, thirteen minutes after the body
met The measure was brought up by
/ Chairman Flood, of the House foreign
affairs committee, c0-author with Sen
atOr Martin.
A long day of debate was in pros
pect as the House settled dowa to
business.
Before the formal discussion of the
measure was begun the leaders took
counsel to determine whether it
would be possible to hold down the
general debate There was Il general
disposition on the part Of most of the
members to get the measure to vote
as speedily as possible.
While the leaders conferred the first
reading of the resolution was ordered.
The House then began general consd-
Grafton OF it, sitting in committee of
the whole"
No definite agreement regarding
limitation of the debate was reached
and Speaker Clark called Rep Fitzpat-
rick of Brooklyn to preside over the
session.
Rep. Flood, as chairman of the for
eign affairs committee, can recall all
explanation of the measure.
Of hA
ceedings the spectators galleries were
only sparsely filled when the DEBATE
opened.
Chairman Flood announced that he
would ike to bring the resolution TO
vote at o'clock today, but this was
neither agreed nor disagreed to by the
House. There was a discussion for
several minutes of methods of proce
dure Finally it was decided that the
House shall demand later when it will
end in discussion.
Demands for the Regular order
by Representative Garner, of Texas,
cut short the discussion over time for
debate and the House went into com
ittce of the whole without fixing q
time limit.
War is being waEcd upon ouI
country and its people, said Chair
man Flood in opening the debate
Our ships are being sunk. Our non
) combatant citizens, including men
women and children, are being murd
cred our MERCHANTMEN are denied the
freedom of the seas.
Under such circumstances here Is
but one course for the government
to pursue. and that is to 20 to the de
Tense of its people and the honor OF
the nation We are completed by the
acts Ct the German government, tc
enter into this most colossal war.
That government has thrust war
upon us. We accept the gauge of BAT
tie. The time for argument has pass
I'd The time for heroic action is here.
1--WE should take our stand by the side
of The allied nations which have been
fighting humanity's battles for tive
and q half years determined that Oui
power shall be so employed that com
plete vistory shall crown their efforts
and that PruSsian mi,itarisni shall be
crushed and the world shall be dcliv
cred from the threat and danger OF
the Hohcnzollcrn dynasty
Rep. Harrison Of Mississippi Took the
Floor
IF there be in this body or else
where said Harrison, citizens who
object to the course we are embark
ing upon would suggest to them
that the greatest embarrassment the
government has experienced thus fal
in its unsuccessful negotiations with
the Imperial German government has
been due to an apparent division oil
sentiment in this country would
suggest to them that they now EN-
ploy their talents and eloquence not
in attempting to cause dissenslon
among the American people but in
addressing Kaiser Wilhelm, Beth
mann.Hollweg, the Reichstag and the
author of that remarkable sample OF
diplomatic 'kulture" the Zimermann
note.
Tell them how we love the history
and principles Of our democratic gov