The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-03-04
Manifesto Written Into Rec
cord Places Blame for
Bills Failure.
LITTLE HOPE SEEN FOR
BILL TO COME TO VOTE
Nine-Tenths of Senate Wants
Measure Passed, but
Are POwerleSs.

Washington. March 4. - Senator
Hitchcock. in charge of President Will
sons armed neutrality bin, put into tho
senate record at $3.50 o'clock this
morning manifesto signed by nearly
SO Democratic and Republican sena-
tors designed to inform the country
the measure. which at that hour appar-
emily had been hopelessly blocked bW
the opposition OF handful OF pro-,
grcssive Republicans.
Tho Nebraska senator said there
Were only II senators who refused to-
sign the manifesto. which pointed out
that an overwhelming majority was
for the presidents policy. though de-,
nrived of an opportunity to vote for
the bill by the course of it's opponents
in preventing a roll call.
one Tenth Controls.
"Thc declaration speaks for ITSELF"
said Senator Hitchcock. TT desired
to place 1t in the record in order that
the country may know and that n rec
ord may be made of the fact that prac-
tically ninc- -tenths Of the senate IL
anxious to bring the bin to Il vote. and
that nine -tcnths of the senate desired
to vote FOR it,"
The manifesto In as follows:
'The undersigned United states SEN
ators favor the passage of senate bill
S322 to authorize the president of tho
United States to arm merchant vessels.
A similar bill already has passed the
house of representatives by a vote Of
403 to 13. Under the rules of the
senate allowing unlimited debate 1t
now appears to be impossible to obtain
a vote prior to noon. March 4. 1917.
when the session of congress expires.
Eve desire the statement entered In
the record to establish the fact that
the senate favors the legislation and
tained."
Senator Ciapp protested that prescn-
tation of the statement was unfair
and unjust" because those who had
not signed merely had been seeking
to secure n fair opportunity for de-
bate"
Gronna Filibusters.
BY a parliamentary inadvertence the
neutrality bill was displaced tempo
| rarily before the senate early today
! when 1t was voted to take up the con-
ference report on the agriculture APP
preparation bill. Administrat ton lead
crs said. however they anticipated no
difficulty in placing the neutrality
measure again before the senate at the
proper time.
| Senator Gronna. one OF those who
has opposed action on the armed ncu-
trality measure seized the opportunity
however. to make a long speech on the
appropriation measure.
| At 3 a. m. Senator Gronna still held
the floor. discussing the agricultural
bill. He had been speaking more
than an hour and gave no evidence of
yielding. so that the armed neutrality
debate could be continued.
Proursssivss Oppose,
Washington March 3.--The bill tc
empower President Wilson to establish
a policy Of armed neutrality developed
such persistent opposition in the son
ate tonight that some of it's warmest
supporters began to fear 1t never could
be passed before the session ends al
noon tomorrow. 4s
| Virtually all of the trouble came
from small group OF progressive Re-
publicans. who blocked every effort te
Let unanimous consent for limiting
debate or setting n time for a vote
Democratic leaders appealed to Tho
Republicans to aid them in swinging
the little group into line, pleading that