Evening star., 1917-12-07
Question Of Declaration
Against Austria-Hungary
y Now Being Debated In
-. the House.
REPUBLICAN SUPPORT
PLEDGED TO PRESIDENT
Representative Flood Asks for
Unanimous Passage-No Alterna-
tive Seen by Leaders.

tive Seen by Leaders.
The Senate adopted a resolution
declaring war on Austria-Hungary
by vote Q, "a to this afternoon
The only criticism made against
the resolution was that it did not
include declaration of war
against Bulgaria and Turkey,
Gerrnany's other allies.
OF the six senators who voted
against the resolution declaring
war on Germany, four voted in
support of the declaration of war
on Austria, and one, Senator
La Toilette of Wisconsin, left the
chamber before the vote was
taken, aad another, Senator Lane
of Oregon, is dead.
Senators ,Gronna1 of North Dakota,
Norris of Nebraska, Vardaman of Mis-
sissippi, who voted against the German
war declaration, supported the resolu-
tion today.
The resolution was adopted by the
Senate after only one hours discus
sion. -
Meanwhile there was every indication
that the resolution would pass in the
House with only one dissenting vote
Representative London, socialist. Mem
bers weress sure of it that they deserted
the chamber in droves to escape the
speeehmaking and return for the voting.
After the House acts the two resolu-
tions WILL be reconciled, or one substi-
tuted for the other.
Debate On in House.
In the House Of Representatives, the
resolution reported yesterday by the
foreign affairs committee, came up for
debate and passage. No time for vote
was set, bat it is believed it might be
expected before o'clock this evening.
In the Senats the foreign relations
committees report Of its own war reso-
Iution came up .xfter unanimous consent
for immedaatR-e consideration had been
obtained = 's-
In the-House Representative Fred
eriek H Gillett of Massachusetts, in
his first speech as acting minority leader
pledged the full support of the re-
publican members to the democrats in
giving President Wilson ungrudgingiy
all the powers and resources of the
country that the. war may be brought
to a successful, conclusion
Mr.. Ginett' made this statement in
supporting the war declaration. He
deplored war and defined it as "a re-
cession to the savage state and AN
modern civilization Then he said:
"But in. this instance / see no possible
alternative-it was forced upon us by
forciblss ernel aggression forbidden
and the spirit of humanity"
He said that the only road to a perma-
nent peace was by fighting this war to q
successful finish.
"A. declaration of war is the most SOL
emn act a legislature can perform said
Mr.. Ssillett. "It involves necessarily the
sacrifice by those We represent of what
they hold dearest-their lives. Moreover
8,
not N a tribunal which is governed by
reas9h and justice and fairness, like the
trfbu3als to which our personal rights
are III submitted. but to the arbitra-
men&of brute force-to tribunal which
deci4gs without regard to justice or
merH and which weighs nothing but
armD might.
''S6ch an act, therefore, calls for the
utmpet elaboration and scrutiny. We
ougt 20 avoid It II we can But in
ShfqaA al
tfvesy Xare not creating a new con-
ditio& Use are simply recognizing a
cendfi0ASwhich already exists. We are
sinnly saying to our defenders across
the Xas,who perhaps before this have
beeHE Eba3aling with the forces of Aus
tria. That We approve and support them.
the President has truly said, Aus
trials but the tool of Germany, and
the sfupremacy of Europe discloses re
-j1ianRe upon but one support, military
power, which 1T has increasingly de-
.'We Hsnst fight this war to sue.
cessfnfs xhish. That is the only road te
peruQen n$nt peace. If 1t should end now
in affdraW this country would have t.
WASTE its millions and billions annual.
ly III the support of an Army and Navy
powerful enough to protect US agains
neVSRggressions' of foreign powers. Fol
thia.war has brought home to US for thu
firsNs time how intimately related al
ndt1QnS are To-Day ana now expensive
andshow horrible is modern war. lie
us, @eHs9ore, determine to end 1t ono
for IlkSs1or us and our children.
s5oh6tless all of US asswe have reat
theAf events of the past have Otter
felA4hA9Eish that we might have livet
in Mem. Now we find ourselves liv
ingy.hn the greatest crisis of all his
torn and we in-thjs House are toda.
trafieacting one of the historic phase
of Hat crisis. We will perform it witt
deli4eration and regret, as become
It's Nervousness, but with determination
that there shall be no turning back
Andsw on this. side of the House viii
yieswith you on that side in giving Z
thesF EXECUTIVE unGrudgingIy all tn
poWkrs4Shnd resources of the country
that tH.war we now declare may b
brdNgH3ss a successful conclusion, II
theth ~sthat thereby there may be es
tafS}3sNA the whole world over a jus
andpa8manept peace"
Asks Unanimous Passage.
Chairman Flood OF the foreign at
fairs committee asked the House t.
pass, the resolution unanimously.
'sFhis is war: war by Austria upol
this country" said Mr.. Flood. .-Th,
assault upon these ships and the mur