Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-04-02
PRESIDENT READY
TO ADDRESS JOINT
SESSION AT ONCE
Will Appear When Advised
That Both Houses Are
Organized.
MAY DECLARE WAR. OR THAT
STATE OF WAR EXISTS
Then Will Confer With Leaders
as to Specific Legislation Dc
sired by Administration.
BOTH HOUSES MEET TO-DAY
Little Doubt That Both Branches
Will Pass War Resolution bv
Large Aiajoritics.


/ WASHINGTON. April l.--Conrrcse
| President Wilson. will meet tomorrow
To determine the most important issues
! before the legislative rcpresentativcs
! Of tho people of the United states
/ since tho Civil War. 1t is considered
a forcGonc conclusion that it either
| viii declare war against Germany or
declare that n state of war exists he
cause Of Gcrmanys agcressions on the
! high seas.
| President Wilson has completed tho
message he Will deliver to Congress.
! and Is ready TO address n joint session
as soon he gets word that both
| houses have been organized and are
ready to hear him.
Either before or directly after he
addresses Congress. the President Is
expected to confer with leaders OF
noth houses regarding the specific
/ legislation desired by the admiuistra
| tton. The War and Navy Departments
! continued to-day with preliminary
( preparedness measures and are ready
! with recommendations for further
| strengthening the army and navy. to
be submitted as soon as Congress de-
cidcs whether the nation is actually to
| Both houses meet at noon tomorrow.
The Senate. already organized. will be
ready to transact business when the
savel falls, but in view of the fact
that any war resolution is expected to
carry an appropriation. it is expected
ihat action will wait on the House
Democrats and Republicans OF the
House have cleared the way for an
immediate effort to organize. and the
helef was general tonight that the
Democrats would reassume control
| with Speaker Clark in the chair, within
few hours after the session begins.
STRENGTH Of PACIFIsrs
NOT TO HALT PROGRESS
There is little doubt that a war
resolution will be passed by large ma
! jorities in both houses There are
| littlc groups of pacifists opposed to
| war except TO resist invasion. who
| will talk, and probably vote, against
any warlikc move. There are other
groups who have their own ideas
about what the United States should
do in the present situation but ropc
is strong enough to prevent action or
seriously TO impede its progress
In the House there probably will not
be persistent opposition unless il
I
far-reachinC action than the President
recommends. Tho Senate has it's new
cloturc rule TO limit debate if a small
group there undertakes TO DELAY ac
tion.
Aside from the war resolution and
/ the appropriations which probably will
accompany II. there is not much lcCis-
| ation now on the books that leaders
believe is necessary to enact before
next winter. The approximation meas
urcs which failed at the last session.
particularly the army bill. the amend
menis to the shipping act giving the
government broad powers over ,ner-
chant shipping. some changes In the
Federal reserve act and legislation to
curb spyinG. arc among the things
which probably viii he deemed essen
| tial to prosecution of whatever course
Is determined upon. Additional reve-
nme legislation and bond issues hevonG
the authorization in existence TO he
carried in the war resolution wil,
states becomes in the war
Efforts arc certain to he made to mn,
through a universal military training
bill. even il President Wilson does not
indorsc it. There will be much oppo-
Sition To il. particularly if the belief
gains currency that such legislation
would pave the way for the sending OF
IN cxpedi:ionary force to the European
hattlchclds.
IMMEDIATE ENACTMENT
MAY DE PREVENTED
There has heen much talk OF a bond
issue to provide a loan or credit 10
France OF from $500. .0oo. 900 to 81. I.0oo,-
100000. Such a proposal would receive
strong support, but there Nigh, be
enough opposition to prevent imme-
diatc enactment of tho necessary egis-
la ton
Hundreds OF kilograms poured into
the Capitol to-day bearing on the qucs-
tion Of war legislation. Many spoke
against war, and members in favor
OF quick decisive action attributed the
food OF messages 10 an organized anti.
war propaganda
Among the measures which will be
introduced as soon as the House meets
viii be the general army stan bill for
compulsory military training OF men