The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-03-02
FLOOD MEASURE GIVING POWER ID
 WILSON PASSES
tContinued from Page One)

tContinued from Page One)
 tive Cooper to send the bill back 10 the foreign affairs committee, which was beaten, 295 to 124.
 ENTHUSIASM AROUSED At 'the outset of the House debate l Chairman Flood aroused intense enthu- sasm on both sides.' Every reference to Americas willingness to protect the rights of citizens wherever they had a l right to travel, was met with a volley of l applause. He cited that authority for | the President to act as suggested in the bill had been granted to other executives in 1794 179S and 1905, 1915, 1889 and 1856, and incidentally attacked the pacifists protest | ing against the bill.
 Tn 179s," he continued, many people in this country at that time said our rights should not be upheld and that to uphold them would lead to war with 1 France. We gave the President the power, our commerce was protected, our honor vindicated and war was averted." Even greater applause greeted Repub- lican Leader Mann's stirring speech in 1 favor of the bill, his remarks being in- terrupted by patriotic outbursts l Tt is well known" Mir. Mann said, ''that I have done and will do every thing in my power to keep this country l out of the European war, and the peace 1 settlement that Is certain to follow it's end. But I do not see how it is possible the President at the time of this crisis power which he asks and which is pro- vided for in the pending bill. l T recognize the fact that those oppos- ing this proposition are filled with pa- l triotism and devotion to the country as 1 the rest of us are," he continued, but I am not willing to cavil over the terms t@f 1n1v ,f<.,,, 1 l When the time comes that our ships shall be assaulted, and the limit of our l patient bearing for insults or destruction | that may be heaped upon us is passed, it becomes the duty of great or small l government to defend it's rights on the l high seas.
 q hope and believe that by giving this power to the Presdentswe shall be more apt to keep out than to get into war"
 KITCHEN FOR BILL Representative Kitchin of North Caro- lima, democratic leader of the House, an- nounced amid applause that he would vote for the bill.
 | "T shall vote for this bill, but not with 1 out hesitancy and misgivings,' Mr. Kitch- in said.
 | The nation confronts the gravest crisis It faces the supremest responsibility to it. 1 self and to the world.
 
 threatens the faith of mankind In Chris 1 tianity, in civilization.
 | The widening of that catastrophe by 1 great, powerful nation like ours would seem to challenge the right of Christianity to exist. It calls to the test the poten- 1 tialities of civilization itself" Representative Cooper, Wisconsin. re- publican, contended the bill surrenders to the President the war power | Representative Campbell of Kansas re- l publican, contended the warning power should not be delegated.
 SPEECHES AGAINST BILL
 Representative Decker, democrat of Missouri, who supported the McLemore resolution in the last Congress, and Rep- resentative Dillon, republican of North, l Dakota, spoke against the bill as s war measure, surrenderng the power of Con- | gress to the President.
 1 Representative Stedman of North Caro- lima, Confederate veteran, and one of the oldest representatives. answered them with an appeal to patriotism. | This House ought to send a message to all nations, he declared, that 1t will protect it's rights, the lives of it's people and the American flag in pristine splen- l dor wherever it may float over land or l sea-"
 ] The rebel yell resounded through the chamber as he concluded
 1 Representative Cooper of Wisconsin, ranking republican member of the foreign affairs committee, argued against the bill l and declared that arming a munitions ship going to bellgerent country would be an act of war He unsuccessfully urged an amendment to prevent such ships from arming.
 | Suppose we were struggling" he said, against a coalition trying to destroy this government-and there is not monarchy on earth that loves us-what would we think if we were trying to defend the republic from destruction and some na- l ton from over on the other side of the 1 water, a neutral nation, should with much profession of desire to be at peace, In the statute authorized by the czar, | or the emperor, or the king, load . ship with ammunition, with naval gunners and send that across the sea conveyed by l their ships, and with ammunition con- | signed to our oriental enemy and landed in Mexico or elsewhere?
 TOO BIG A COWARD
 Answer that, you gentlemen who call us towards l am too big coward to rise on this floor and lie to accommodate anybody
 Representative Moore. republican of 1 Pennsylvania, who has-a -a resolution pend- ! ing to direct investigation of charges that English money has subsidized section 1 of the American press, said the story of Germany's attempt to ally Japan and Mexico against the United States was part ] of the alleged propaganda." l Tt is too late now" he said, to I further discuss the propaganda that has | stirred up a war spirit in the United States. Those newspapers which have sought to influence Congress and the President have fired their last shot This morning we had the final word in the ! questionable, but startling, announce ment that Japan and Mexico were invited i into an alliance with Germany to seize Texas and two other of our border l states.
 Tt is sufficient for the time that the Japanese embassy has unofficially, but very emphatically denied this sensational story as monstrous and outrageous