The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-12-06
House Foreign Affairs Com
mittee Unanimously Adopts
Flood Resolution
NO DISSENTING VOICE
In HOUSE ANTICIPATED
Every Member of Committee
Which Opposed War en-
Germany Votes Tor Declare.
ton Against Germany s Ally

Washington, December 9Th ere will
of war on Austria-Hungary. Parlia-
mentary machinery. put in motion to-
day. Will turn out the declaration re-
Qu'ested by President Wilson, early
next week. Chairman Flood, OF the
house of representative foreign affairs
committee. introduced resolution to-
day, which was at once referred to his
committee.
The committee met at once. ironed
out some legal phraseology. unani-
mously approved the" declaration, and
Instructed Chairman Flood TO report
out the resolution tomorrow. He will
ask unanimous consent that the decla-
ration be placed fiFst-ssfts4e- order of
business for Fridays session. and in
dtcatlons now are that the house Will
push the resolution through 1ust as
expeditlously as the committee did
today.
Prediction was made tonight that
there will be practically no dissenting
vote on the declaration. This predic-
ton was based on change of front
shown by practically ali the anti-war
voters of last spring.
All Vote For Action.
Every member of the foreign affairs
committee who last spring voted
against war on Germany. today voted
for 4 declaration against Austria The
aged Henry Allen Cooper. OF Wiscon-
sin, who has sturdily opposed all war
because of an Unborn horror OF wars
r-saies-crst-h ate-wita- tAs-eeFss-
mittee, reversing his stand OF few
months ago.
Porter. Huddleston and shackietord.
three other committeeman who ep-
posed the declaration last spring.
faced about today and made the COM
mittee vote unanimous.
Members of the committee not able
to be present were Ragsdale. Rogers.
Temple. Kennedy and Foss. Ragsdale
telegraphed his vote. his Eye" being
received with acclaim.
Tia foreign &ffatrs sccmnattres- has
been regarded as an accurate barome-
ter of international opinion In the
house. rejecting as II does all shades
OF war opinion. Members tonight pri-
vateiy expressed a desire TO frame q
declaration including Turkey and Bull
garia along with Austria. but added
thas this could not well re done unui
the president had formally requested
1t. There may be some discussion on
this point when the matter comes be-
fore the house Friday. but even II
there Is opposition TO moving on Aus
tria alone TO the exclusion of the two
miner allies. no action in the form OF
votes Is expected.
Text of Declaration.
Chairman Floods original joint reso-
luton was revised in committee The
new version. made public late this
evening. follows:
Whereas the imperial and royal
Austro Hungarian government h las
severed diplomatic relations with the
government of the United States. and
has committed acts OF war against the
government and the people OF the
United States OF America among
which are it's adherence to the policy
OF ruthless submarine warfare adopted
by its ally, the imperial German gov
eminent with which the United States
of America is at war. and by giving
it's ally active support and aid both
on land and sea In the prosecution of
the war against the government and
people OF the United States of America,
therefore. be II
Resolved by the senate and house
OF representatives OF the United States
of America. in congress assembled.
that q state OF war be and Is hereby
declared to exist and to have existed
since noon OF the sth day OF December
1917, between the United States of
America and the imperial and royal
Austro- Hungarian government; and
that the president be. and Is hereby.