The Brandon news., 1922-08-31

J for its passage through the House.
He stated that Senator Vardaman
was entitled to all the credit due
him, and that he had never failed
to give him that credit, but insisted
that Senator Vardaman's friends
were overstating the part the senator
played in that legislation.
He stated that the six years which
Senator Vardaman served In the
Senate were the only six consecutive
years in the past 20 years during
which the Senate had not some
increased the amount Of appropria-
tion carried in bills for the Missis-
/ sippi River above the figure set by
the House.
Vardaman i'm Wilful IL.
He said, Il do not wish to be un-
derstood as criticizing Senator Var
daman for this. / do not blame him.
We were at war most of the time
and it was difficult indeed to secure
a larger appropriation for any civil
enterprise But it is, nevertheless,
a fact. The Senate did add to the
appropriations carried in House bills
when Leroy Percy was in the Sen
ate and it has done so since Senator
| Vardaman retired. l mention this
merely to show that so far as the
record goes there is no reason to
believe that he could more effective
| ly serve the special interests of the
delta than could Mr.. Stephens"
| He referred TO the defeat of the
armed neutrality bill in the Senate
which had brought forth President
| Wilson's criticism of the ''wilful Il. ;"
The purpose of this bill was to en-
able the president TO arm the
merchant ships of the United States
| to enable them to defend themselves
| against unlawful attacks by German
submarines. The German govern
ment had notified President Wilson
that they would sink any ship which
| entered those portions of the ocean
on which the kaiser had forbidden
them to sail without warning and
without attempt to make any pro-
vision for the safety of the crew,
and this, too, regardless of the
character of the cargo which the
ships carried.
president Wilson," he said, had
| full authority under the general sta
tutes to do this but Ambassador Ge-
rard had reported to him that the
German government did not believe
that the United States would enter
| the war under any circumstances
and that it was the belief of the
German cabinet that the Congress
was not in sympathy with the
position which the president had
taken. Mr.. Wilson asked therefore
that this bill be passed. so that
Germany would know that both
House and Senate were whole heart
edly behind him and that it would
mean war if Germany undertook TO
execute her unlawful threat. 1t was
a great misfortune. it was indeed
calamitouS to our hopes for peace
that this bill was not passed by the
Senate 1t had passed the House by
a vote of 403 to IA, only three
Democrats voting in the negative
and all three of these We're defeated
when they went back to their con
stituents Four fifths of the sena-
tors signed the statement declaring
that they were in favor OF this leg
islation and put that statement i'll
the Record in the hope that Germ
any WOulu UOt ucCclNc HSlSCI with
the belief that the Congress was
not backing the president, but un-
fortunately the failure of the bill
confirmed the German authorities in
their preconceived conviction that
when put to the test Congress would
refuse to declare war, and whereas
for twelve months they had kept
their promise made to Mr.. Wilson
after the sinking of the Sussex not
to sink American ships without
warning and without making MAX
ing provision for the safety of the
crews, within two weeks after the
defeat of the armed neutrality bill,
Germany began again her ruthless
and inhuman warfare on our
merchant ships and war was made
inevitable"
In answer to the suggestion which
is sometimes made that Germany
was SO circumstanced that she was
forced to indulge in this character
of warfare, he compared the conduct
of Rapheal Sims, who commanded
the Confederate Cruiser Alabama
during our civil war and showed
how that great sea captain had
the enemy from the seven seas with
out ever once failing to make proper
provision for the safety of the crew
and passengers.
mo country ever faced necessity
more dire than Sims faced. In two
years the flag of his country passed
| forever from the face of the waters.
but thank God when it sank beneath
| The waves it was not stained by the
blood of innocent women and chill
dren."
| He told graphically how at the
| very time Congress was considering
the draft BILL the Confederate
veterans, who were holdig their re-
union in Washington at the time,
marched down Pennsylvania Avenue
with a banner emblaZoned with the
| motto, Dam man who amt for
| his country, right or wrong ADV.