Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1917-03-05
New Rules for Senate.

Until this is done the president de.
clared in his formal statement, "the
paralysis of the senate" with ''no rules
by which dilatory tactics can be pre-.
vented" " would continue
Calling attention to the fact that
"more than 500 of the 531 members of
congress were ready and anxious to
act, the president declared nothing
could be accomplished "because a little
group of IL senators so determined
The position of the president is strik-
ingly set forth in the following pass.
ages from his statements:
In the immediate presence of a
crisis fraught with more subtle and far
reaching possibilities Of national danger
thaa any other the government has
known within the whole history of its
anternational relations, the congress has
becn unable to act either to safeguard
the country or to vindicate the elemen-
tary rights OF its citizens.
Although as a matter of fact the
nation stand behind the executive with
unprecedented unanimity and spirit, the
impression made abroad WILL of course,
be that it is not so and that other gov
ernments may act as they please with
out fear that this government can do
anything at all. We cannot explain.
The explanation is incredible.
1.-The senate of the United States is
the only legislative body in the world
which cannot act when its majority is
ready for action.
Ships Cannot Be Armed
"a little group of wilful men, repre-
sentlng no opinion but their own, have
rendered the great government of the
United States helpless and contemplate.
1.-THE remedy? There is but one rem
edy. The only remedy is that the rules
of the senate shall be so altered that it
can act. The country can be relied upon
to draw the moral. l believe that the
senate can be relied on to supply the
means of action and save the country
from disaster"
The presidents BELIEF that he had the
power to arm merchant ships despite the
action of the senate was dissipated
when his legal advisers discovered a
statute passed by congress in 1919 dis
sipating this idea
The statute in question provides that
the commander and crew of any mer-
chant vessel of the United States owned
wholly or in part by citizen thereof.
may oppose and defend against aggres.
sion which shall be attempted upon
such vessel by the commander and crew
OF any armed yessel whatsoever not be-
ing public armed vessel of some nation
IN amity with the United States. F."
This is the law which was referred to
by those demanding extra powers for
the president. Senators Lodge, Hitch
cock and others declared in the senate
debate that to arm merchant vessels
unless the power asked BY the president
was authorized. would give the vessels
the status Of privateers and their crews
pirates.
Submarines, officials declare, are pub
lie vessels of country not at war with
the United States and hence the presi-
dents hands are tied.
Action Is Prevented.
Twelve senators, led by Senator La
Toilette and encouraged by Senator
Stone, democratic chairman of the for
eign relations committee. in filibust-
cr, denounced by President Wilson q
sPokesmen as the most reprehensible in
the history Of anv civilized nation, de-
fled the will Of an overwhelming ma