Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-03-04

Two
&tsA that the Democrats had offered
ESccept tho House bill. In lieu OF the
EnAts bill. IL q bill could be assured
&40rS noon Tomorrow. With vote
line House bill. no conference would
necessary, II. in the face OF the
nStfng nlibuster. the Senate bill
tpuld be passed some time tomorrow.
t&would have to go back to the House.
H&Enactmcnt OF the law under such cir
1mstances seemed to the most opti-
ntstic administration leaders almost
Ehpossible.
G3While negotiations for some form OF
$4mpromise were proceeding. several
yHnators sought to induce friends Of
fESAe bill to refrain from discussing il.
order to force its determined OPP
&xenents. La Toilette. Norris. Gronna
Md sCummins. to take the floor.
sSssfsSone had yet spoken. rescrving
}$Msmselves for the last twelve hours
B&&Ssthe session. in the hope Of talking
&Neg measure to death.
ex-senator Norris openly declared he
4puld kill tho bill if he could
TO REFUSE
5SsSs AUTHORITY TO PRESIDENT
!! more disastrous thing could
3knappen to this country at this hour
}MAan for Congress to refuse to vote
Wilson authority he has
SSked," declared Senator Simmons.
&ter he had opened negotiations with
BE1me of the Senators on the minority
Side.
2ESzfS1f We had not told Americans to
HN6et out of Mexico. or stay there ut
HsJAeir own risk. Germany never would
HAAHe sunk the Lusitania or other ships
HEAE1th Americans aboard" said Senator
8SAnes. declaring that the President
Eshould have notified Germany that a
Hspolicy different from the Mexican
would be pursued as TO maritime
Asss Germany had the right To assume
Hssthat we would pursue the same policy
aTegarding Americans in British terri
he argued.
NE Hope that Senator stones amend
would be adopted was expressed
Wy the Washington Senator, saying the
IEETesident ought to welcome explicit di-
1fEectton from Congress-
ggsDuring tho debate Representatives
HIaaYenner. Of Illinois: Cooper. of Wis
Eonsin, and HelEescn. OF Minnesota.
members OF the so-called "paciist
kHFoup or the House." conferred with
sSehator La Toilette.
% The most serious OF the consc-
Auences would not he so much the
|lJ1ect upon Germany adduccd by a
ttiuro of Congress to respond to the
feresident," Senator Simmons added.
put the encouragement It might give
harmful propaganda at home"
WOULD HAVE CONGRESS
DIRECT THE PRESIDENT
IF we want the President to arm
american ships and sink German sub
marines, We should direct him to do
go, not pass discretion and RESPONSE
sbtIity for decision on TO him." said SEN
SAtor Jones. All the allies he said had
ggiosed the sea to American commcicc.
aAnd IL they had not sunk any American
Enhips In their barred zone ii was only
3Specause the ships had not gone there.
~ Senators Sterling and Nelson object
900, saying that the allies in their
8Tplockade, always had observed inter
aSs3attonal law. In reply Senator Jones
S~fed the blockade of Greece, reading
hports Of resulting starvation in that
3untry and Of the sinking OF Creek
fps.
This shows that England would, IL
ifcessary, to the same thing that Ger
hny Is doing. he said The allies
re no more regard OF rights of neu-
Is than Germany. unless ii is neces-
~ for their preservation"
While the negotiations continued Re-
tf"eM and Democratic Senator's
es>.aing behind the Presidents pro-
Tram prepared manifesto to be is
sued to the public In case the few OPP
ionents of the bill succeeded in pre-
arnting vote by noon tomorrow.
The manifesto. which every Senator
d ,yoring the bill will be asked to sign
II is forth that those who stand behind
BE President feel they have been de-
Viewed OF their votes by flibustering
A4ctcs preventing the measure from
Ec6ming to passage before the end Of
SSthe session.
BWOT TO RE GIVEN OUT
ksssS UNTIL ALI. H0PE is LOST
&AslsThe manifesto was circulated
f|throughout the Senate shortly before
'Emidnight. bur was not 10 be given out
{s3iQtil all hope of reaching "A vote had
IEdSsappeared.
Among the Senator'S 'whofprepared it
Igwere Simmons. IiaTdwfck Hughes and
for the Democrats. and
|SIpdge, Fall, Sutherland and Nelson for
fthe Republicans.
One Senator said that at least 90 ncr
Event OF the Senate membership would
(ysfgn.
Hitchcock, i'm charge or the
|Ebll, said that tho situation was more
Eshppeful, In view OF the negotiations.
|S3s Senator Hardwick denounced bit
RHferly those threatening To defeat the
|NRu, and pleaded that il be passed Ito
&S1Eeep peace, support the President and
kEfet the German government know that
hive will not submit to murder on the
ENras'
Cummins took the floor TO
axe n long speech against the bill.
Is said there had been persistent at
mpts to distort tho attitude" of the
easure's opponents, and that he based
opposition upon constitutional OBJ
etions against abandoning TO the
esident the war-making powers OF
ngress, and added:
II look upon German submarine war
re on merchant ships as uuspeak-
ly atrocious. ! have no words OF
ti6cation for the practice. If The