Evening star., 1941-06-01

| Minnesota has his Shipstead; the late
Senators Cummins and Kenyon of Iowa
have their Gillette; the late Senator
Lane of Oregon has his Holman; the
late Claude Kitchin, Democratic leader
of the House in 1917, has his Senator
Reynolds.
Spotty Picture Still Holds.
This does not by any means exhaust
the list of isolationists in the Sen
ate today, but it does give picture of
the spotty situation which existed in the
country score or more years ago and
with exists today.
In addition to those Senators who are
fighting all step ps that might lead this
country into war already mentioned,
there is Senator Wheeler of Montana,
who has taken a foremost part in de-
nouncing the foreign policies of the ad-
ministration. There are, too. Senators
Bulow of South Dakota. Aiken of Ver-
mont, LANCER of North Dakota, Nc
Carran of Nevada, Taft and Burton of
Ohio Capper of Kansas and Vandenberg
of Michigan.
President Wilson, in February and
March of 1917, outraged over the sinking
of American merchant vessels in the
then unrestricted submarine warfare
launched by Germany, called on Con-
gress to pass bill giving him authority
to arm American merchant vessels to
repel any submarine attack 1t came
before Congress in the closing days,
almost hours, of the short session"
which closed automatically March 4,
1917. At the very time this resolution
was before Congress the famous Zim-
mermann letter, written by German
Foreign Minister Zimmerman to Ger
man Minister Won Eckhardt, plotting
an alliance with Mexico and Japan to
war against the United States was made
public. 1t whipped sentiment to fever
heat.
The Zimmerman Note.
This letter, under date of January IT,
1917, from Berlin, said:
"On the first of February we intend
to begin submarine warfare unrestricted.
In spite of this it is our intention to
keep neutral with the United States of
America. If this attempt is not sue
cessful, We propose an alliance on the
following basis with Mexico. That we
shall make war together and together
make peace We shall give general
financial support and it is understood
| that Germany is to reconquer the lost
| territory in New Mexico, Texas and
Arizona. The details are left to you for
settlement
You are instructed to inform the
| President of Mexico of the above in the
| greatest confidence as soon as it is GER
tain there will be an outbreak OF war
with the United States and suggest
that the President of Mexico, on his own
initiative, should communicate with
Japan, suggesting adherence at once to
| this plan. At the same time offer to
mediate between Germany and Japan
| Japan was then allied with the French
| and British against Germany. Please
call to the attention of the President of
Mexico that the employment of ruth
less submarine warfare now promises
to compel England to make peace in a
few months
Conveys a Reminder.
The discussion today of conveys to
get American supplies to Britain in the
| face of ruthless submarine and air
attack has some of the earmarks OF this
controversy over the Wilson armed
workmanship proposal to Congress.
The House put the armed-merchant-ship
resolution through with a rush, only 13
members voting against it, one of whom
was the late Representative Lindbergh
of Minnesota, father of Charles A.
Lindbergh, the isolationist of today. But
in the Senate, a filibuster, organized by
the senior La Toilette and Senator Stone,
who was then chairman of the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee, prevented
action on the resolution right up to the
moment of adjournment of the Congress
at midday March "A Sunday. Seventy
six Senators signed round robin dur
ing the long night of the filibuster, de-
claring their support of the resolution.
But amid turbulent scenes, the filibus-
terers held the floor, and the resolution
failed Of action. e~-. .:--.e
The next day President Wilson issued