The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-02-28
CONGRESS HESITATES
WITH WAR BILL
CONTINUED from page II

strumentalities" than guns. gunner
i and money.
4 The fate OF the bill turns. nainl5
Soveyer on Senator LaFollette. ~
i,as tesn inclined to fFDiluster agalns
the naval appropriation bill and TN
4 authority measure. He and one o.
rwo more men could block the bills
hut the question today was Whetne1
they wanted to take responsInolat =
for such a move.
| while congress fiddled. TIE az
irn,nsstration had before 1t Germ any
4 unoN cial admission that she SUI
holds the Yarrowdale men, because
of infection" In their camp. This wa
| looked UPON as fragrant Insult .,
some officials II threatened 70 coM
] nIjcare and hasten q trouble officials
/ fear is all too near.
The Austrian situation remains .
] puzzle though the government per
/ rutsed sufficient news to leak 10 SNOW
4 that it Is preparing for break and
that Ambassador Penfield Is quaetig
paving the way to get American
I consuls and citizens out OF Austria
I in case of a break.
Flood Bill Changed
WASHINGTON, Feb. %. - The
house loreign affairs committee To-
j day upheld President Wilson's re-
Quest for power to meet the interna-
tionaa situa.ion-but with TWO I'M
porsant restrictions.
Authorization for use OF other n
strumentalities~ aside from guns.
gunners and money was STRIPPED
from the original Flood bill. thus
limiting perhaps, the presidents
authority TO some extent
The second restriction was tnser-
ton OF q provision against use OF the
war risk bureau TO insure ships car
rying munitions
The latter provision may bring the
whole armed ship and munitions
questions into the present question
and develop an unpleasant compE
cation when vote comes.
Those voting against the report were
Representatives Shackelford and Hud-
dleston, democrats, and Represents
tives Cooper and Porter, republicans.
all Of whom filed a minority report
Representative Thompson also nied a
minority report.
As the house bill now stands. it pro
yides for granting President Wilson
guns. gunners and 500. 0oo. 000-the
guns and gunners TO be used TO pro
tect ships and citizens of the United
States against unlawful attack In their
lawful and peaceful pursuits on the
high seas"
The three proposed amendments to
strip Wilson Of power TO arm n1uni1on
ships were voted down as sop to the
entire munition ship crowd The com
mittee report provided against using
the federal war insurance bureau In
iinsuring ships carrying munitions.
| The next step toward passage OF the
measure in the house IL to get rule
for e1peditious action. The house
may wait, however. upon senate ac'
ition which is not due before late to
might or tomorrow.
| The house rules committee infendl
Ito meet tomorrow, however, to report
out a rule whereby quick action. i
NECESSARY, can be obtained on the bill
/: The house viii doubtless pass the
bill In view of the fact that it takes
away use OF the "other instrumental
ties" that vague power which congress
felt might encroach upon its war max
! ing rights and give the president toe
great power.
/ Shackelford's minority report-prac
tically a peace-at-any-price plea, clos
ing with a prayer, said in part:
/ "In my Judgment, our interest coun
'seIs that We should forego our rights
ito navigate the high seas embraced In
the war zone declared by Great Brit
ain and by Germany rather than to
wage war to enforce ouch rights. How
ever, IL q minority shall hold differ
| ent view and our country shall be
plunged into that insane war, then
shall OF course stand by my country
/ to the last dollar and the last man
May a merciful God guide US in this
| hour OF peril"
| ENGLAND Interested.
| LONDON, Feb. 2s.-England ex
poets America to act. Editorial com
ment In all newspapers reflected the
attitude of the general public today
| that the Laconia cannot be construed
otherwise than an overt act" just
how America win "act" other thar
| to adopt the armed neutrality policy
outlined in the presidents spec
was not suggested In the editorials
I but the inference was clear that
England thinks nothing short OF the
most drastic steps win satisfy Amer.
| lean dignity ana UUIUE. LIS Utilei
of an irreconsilable difference be-
tween America and all Teutonic agen
cies, was heightened today by Vienna
dispatches indicating that American
Ambassador Penfeld would receive
today the answer OF the Austro-Hun
garian government to his recent re
quest for statement OF the dua
mcnarchy's position on the unlimited
submarine warfare.
Dispatches from Switzerland re
porting conditions in Austria indi
Gated this answer would announce
complete support Of Germany's ruth
lessness and limited that break with
| Austria similar to that with Germany
7 by the United States. was close a
hand. One other thing which lee
! Britons today to the conclusion thai
America will have to go farther thar
a mere break in relations with ths
Teutons was the report from Berlin
that the Americans taken prisoner
on the Yarrowdale were still beint
held-this time on the pretext O