Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1917-03-21
CABINET PLANS
war MEASURES
Washington Grave After Secret
Conference Is Held May
Call Congress Soon.
consul Skinner Confirms Press Reports
That Two Officers. and Fifteen
Sailors of American Ship
Were Killed.


Washington, March 21.-President
Wilson and his cabinet spent more than
two hours reviewing the incidents of
the German submarine campaign which
brought the United !St,rtes to the edge
OF the great war in Europe.
An added weight of concern and ap-
prehensiOn hangs over Washington as
the members of the presidents cabinet
said that no change in the attitude of
the Unitedl States toward Germany had
yet been ordered, .t. - 80 3a g,;v
Under pledge of secrecy the mem
bers of the presidents official cabi-
net declined to discuss the discussion.
There was no effort to disguise the
gravity of the sftuatlott, and several
members madeeit plain that they be,
lieye that the events of the, past few
weeks have precipitated. Il "state OF
war; between the two nations"
May Call Congress Now.
,tS0mRi members of the cabinet init
mate fhatthe extraordinary session 81
congress called for April 16 would be
called together at once in order that
the president may have the legislative
branch of the government on hand for
any grim eventualities.
It was stated that an announcement
on this phase Of the situation might be
expected soon.
It was learned, however, that this
whole question had been carefully con-
sidered by the cabinet, and that some
cabinet members believed that an i'm
mediate call for congress would be
construed by Germany as practically q
declaration of war.
They advised that the president
await the converting of the extraordi-
nary session called for next month";
and devote the interim to eXertinG
every effort to hasten the countrys
preparedness plans through the navy
department and the war department.
An immediate call these. cabinet
members asserted would give Germany
an opportunity to strike more vigOr-
ously ut American shipping before full
preparatiOns could be made to- meet
an attack. ..
Now in State of War.
On the other hand several members
of the cabinet believe that the coun-
try is already in a state OF war, ana
that the serious nature of the Sltua'
ton makes it practically imperative
that congress should be in Washing
ton ready to act at once in support OF
the president. It was understood that
the president himself feels that the full
power of the government should be
modified to confront the dangers
which have now become apparent to
every administration official
Both the state department and the
navy department asserted that reports
of concert of action between the
United States navy and the warships
of the entente powers was absolutely
without foundation.
Two American officers Drown.
When the president andeablnet went
into conference they were confronted
by the situation which the president
has declared would lead to the next
step" which is war. Il
A few minutes prior to the meeting
dispatch had been received from Con
sui General Skinner ut London which
told of the loss of American lives in
the torpedoing without warming of an
American ship, the Vigilancia. The
news had been awaited anXiously by
officials for nearly forty-eiSht hours
The dispatches killed the hope that un
official dispatches of the vessels de-
struction unwarned might not prove
true.
The dispatch announced that two OF
the Vigilanca's officers, one native
and the other naturalized American
had been drowned as q result of the
attack, and that other Americans
members of the crew, also had lost
their lives. The death toll was Is
~" nN,.'.n: Of ''S"''''" - lost !,as not
~ ,lripir-'