Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-03-05
AUTHORITY HE ASKS
| BLOCKED BY GROUP
Of W|LLFUL Men
They Render This Great
Government Helpless and
Contemplate.
MAY BE WITHOUT POWER,
UNLESS CONGRESS ACTS
Useless to Call Special Session
While Senate Works Under
Present Rules. ,s
FAVOR SCHEMES OF MINORITY
Proposes Revision ITO Supply Means
OF Action and Save Nation
From Disaster"
FAVOR SCHEMES or MINORITY
Proposes Revision ito Supply Means
OF Action and Save Nation
From Disaster" @
IRy Associated Iress.l

WASHINGTON. March 4.-Presielene
Wilson tonight Informed the country.
In statement, that he may be without
power to arm merchant ships and take
other steps to meet the German sub
marine menace. in the absence OF au-
thority from Congress.
An extra session OF Congress, the
president says. is required to clothe
him with authority. but IL Is useless,to
call one while the Senate works under
the present rules. which permit a small
minority to keep an overwhelming ma
fority from acting.
The President proposes, therefore,
that the special session OF the Senate
which he has called TO meet to-mors
row. revise the rules ito supply the
means of action and save the country
from disaster" IA
"A little group Of willful men," saws
the President in his statement, rep
rcsenting no opinion but their own.
have rendered the great government
OF tho United states helpless and .eon-s
tamptililc."
SITUATION DNPARALLELED
IN HISTORY OF COUNTRY
The Presidents statement in full
follows:
The termination OF the last session.
Of the Sixty-fourth Congress by con-
stitutional limitation discloses a sltu-
alton unparalleled in tie history Of the,
country. perhaps unparalleled in tn.
history OF any modern governmen,.
In The Immediate presence OF a crisis
frauEht with moro subtle and FAR
reaching possibilities of national dan
ger than any other the government has
known w!th.a the whole history ofSits
international relations. the Congress
mas been unable to act either to safe
guard the country or tn vindioats the
elementary rights OF its citizens. F
More than 500 of the 53l members
OF the houses were ready and anxious
to act; the House had acted by an
overwhelming mn jority, but thu SEN
ate was unable to act because q littls
group OF eleven Senators had deter-
mined that IL should net. The Senate
has no rules by which debate can be-
limited or brought to an end. no rules
py winch dilhtory tactics OF any kind
can DC prevented. \ single member
can stand in the way Of action lie he
nave but the physical endurance The
result In this case Is complete paraly-
sis alike of the legislative and execu-
i've branches OF the government sst
SOME NEEDED LEGISLATION
RENDERED. IMPOSSIBLE
This inability of the Senate to act
mas rendered some of the most neces-
sary legislation OF the session impos-
sinie. AZ time when the need for3it
was most pressing and most evident
The Dill. which would have permitted
such combinations OF capital and OF
organization in the import and export
trade OF the country as the circuna
stances of International competitors
have made imperative-a bill which
the business Judgment of the whols
country approved and demanded-haa
failed.
THE opposition OF one or two sena.
tors has made 1t impossible to increase
the membership of the Interstate Conn
merce Commission or to give Il the
altered organization needed for it's
efficiency. The conservation bill. which
should have released for immediate
use the mineral resources which. are
still locked up in the public lands.
now that their release Is more i'm
peratiVely necessary than ever, and
the bill which would have made the
unused water power of the country lm-f
mcdiately available for industry have
both failed. though they have been un-
"ei CONSIDERATION throughout the ses-
sions of two Congresses and have been
twice passed by the House OF Repre-
sentatives.
The appropriations for tho aru,Sa
have failed. along with the appro.
priations for civil establishment OF the
government. the appropriations forsths
Military Academy at West Point, and
the general deficiency bill.
lMPoSsIBI.E TO MEET NEEDS
OF UNUSUAL SITUATIoSY
1T has proved impossible to extend
the powers of the Shipping Board to
meet the special needs OF the new
situation into which our commerce has
been forced. or to increase the gold re.
serve OF our national banking system
to meet the unusual circumstances OF
the existing financial situation.
IT would not cure tho difficulty 10
call the Sixty.hfth Congress in extra,
ordinary session. The paralysis Of tho
Senate would rSmain. The purpose and
the spirit OF action are not lacking now
The Congress Is. moro defnitely united