The Seward gateway and the Alaska evening post., 1917-03-05
PRESIDENT WILSON DENOUNCES
 W|LLFUL MEN FOR MAKING
 UNITED STATES CONVERTIBLE

WASHINGTON Sunday, March 4.-Twelve senators led by LaFoette and encouraged by Stone in ibuster which blocked all legislation during the closing hours of the 64h Congress- were publicly denounced in state ment issued by President Wilson late tonight.
 The president informed the country n this statement thathe is left without power to arm merchant ships ana take other steps to meet the German submarine menace in the absence of authority from congress- and that he was mistaken when he said in his recent address that he could act under "broad constitutional authority"
 An extra session of congress the president says IS required to clohe him with the necessary authority
 He declared however that it was useless to call one while the senate works under the present rule which per nits small minority to block legislation by tilbusters, which prevent majority from acting.
 The president proposes, therefore, that the special session of the senate which he has called to meet Monday revise the rules ito supply for action and the country from disaster"
 "A little group of wllful men,, said the president in his statement representing opinion but their own have rendered the great government of the United States helpless and cOntimptibe."
 He pointed out how the failure of the senate to act had blocked some of the most necessary legislation Of the session. stating that appropriations for the army failed to pass along with the appropriations for the civil estimates of the government.
 President Wilson's spOkeSmen in the senate heapedI gnomny on the heads of the lbusterers, denouncngI their act as the most reprehenSbe in the history of any civilized nation pointing out that by the aid of rule which enables small minority to keep the majority from acting they had deed the will of overwhelming ma oy in congress to the last minute of the session and de- ned to the president la wauthorizng him to arm and protect merchantmen to meet Gemanys threat of Strcted submarine warfare.
 Early Sunday morning when 1t became apparent that the busterers would not yield Sen Hitchcock n charge of the administration armed neutrality bi which was intended to give the president power to arm American merchantmen put into the senate record at 33O o'clock in the morning. manifesto signed by 80 Demo- cratic and Republican senator's
 This manifesto was designed to inform the countryI just who were responsible for the failure of the measures to safeguard the country which at that hour apparently had been hopelessy blocked by the opposition of hand full of Progressives and Republicans The manifesto was not signed by the twelve" by other senators who had maintained less neutral attitude in the debate
 Those not signing are:
 Democrats-Kerby, Lane, Maritime, Reed, Stone, Thompson Tillman and Vardeman.
 Republicans-Capp, Cummins, Dupont, Gronna, Kenyon, LaFollette, Lippt Norris Penrose, Warren, Weeks and Works.
 Unyieding throughout 26 hours of continuous seS-I sion and debate to the appeals that their defiance would be humiating to the country uncompromiSing in the crisis described to them the most serious to the nation since the days of the Civil war; LaFoette and his small group of supporters refused to allow the majority of their colleagues opportunity to vote on the armed neutrality bill and it died with the 64th Congress at noon.