Wilson Asks Use ot Force; Laconia Sunk
The, Omaha Daily Bee
Want-ad
Night Service
to 10 p. in.
Tyler 1000
THE WEATHER
Cloudy; Colder
VOL. XLVI NO. 217.
OMAHA, TUESDAY. MORNING, FEBRUARY 27, 1917 FOURTEEN PAGES.
Da Tralat. it MoWt
Nsani StanSs, lie., M.
SINGLE COPY TWO CENTS."
TWELFTH ANNUAL
AUTO SHOW GETS
WELL UNDER WAY
Million-Dollar Motor Car Expo
sition Opens Under the Most
Auspicious Circumstances
in History.
GIVEN UNQUALIFIED 0. K.
Even Those Who Saw National
Shows Take Their Hats
Off to Omaha.
CROWD IS A BUYING ONE
Omaha placed its Unqualified stamp
of, approval on the twelfth annual mo
tor car exposition, which opened at
the municipal Auditorium yesterday
under the most auspicious circum
stances that ever attended the open
ing of an Omaha automobile show.
That the 1917 exposition easily sur
passes any and all of its eleven prede
cessors was the verdict of every per
son who was on hand to inspect tne
(littering array of shiny new cars.
Kvm those who had seen the (Treat
national shews at New York and Chi
cago had to admit that Omaha s show,
although not so large and pretentious,
does not have to take a back seat for
anv of them.
Even the most critical observer
must confess that the Omaha display
is a most complete and exhaustive
one. Apparently nothing is missing.
On all sides are luxurious limousines,
dainty coupes, sturdy touring cars,
snappy runabouts, nifty cloverleafs
and racy speed cars. Every- single
one of the sixteen standard models
are exhibited and the potential buyer,
no matter what his taste may be,
will find at least one car to his liking.
There are over 200 machines valued
at over $1,000,000.
Crowd Is Large.
It -wasn't found necessary to call
out the police last night as it was a
couple of timeB in years gone by
when complimentary tickets for the
inaugural night were distributed with
a lavish hand, but the crowd was a
substantial one. At 9 o'clock, when
the crowd reached its maximum, one
mind it mitt task to move ud and
down the congested aisles whh'-anjr
degree of freedom. '
One very noticeable fact about the
crowd last night was that it was what
the dealers and exhibitors call "a
buying crowd." It seemed that al
most everybody there was vitally in
terested in motor cars. There was,
of course, a number of the curious on
hand for the first opportunity to give
the show the visual forward and back,
but the percentage was unusually
small. It was an unfortunate dealer,
indeed, who didn't add anywhere
from a dozen to a score of new "im
mediate prospects" to his list lat
night.
The decorative scheme of this
year's show was the inspiration for
many enthusiastic exclamations of
delight, especially among the fair
sex. The decorations were carefully
worked out this year so that they
would be effective without taking up
a needless quantity of valuable exhi
bition space. The predominating col
ors are white and green, which blend
harmoniously with the brilliant and
highly-polished machines. Illumina
tion is all overhead, the floor lights
having been eliminated entirely, and
the effect is very striking.
Basement Is Surprise.
A surprise was in store for those
who visited the basement. It isn't
merely a basement this year. It is
called the Palm room. In the past
commercial trucks have always been
exhibited in the basement, but this
year the room was needed for pleas
ure cars. So the basement has been
dressed up just like the main floor
and palms and ferns and colors have
been distributed so lavishly one
wouir! hardly believe it the same old
(Continued en ran Two, Column Seven.)
The Weather
Vor Nebraska Cloudy; cold.
Temperature at Omaha Yesterday, 1
fl Hour. Dejr.
cC&Dfi Its:::::::::: 3
ST a. m.-i 24
ft a. m 22
L. 9 a. m 21
rn 10 a. m 21
IF-O "::::::::::
iLggeL- L 1 P. m I!
p. m 21
6 p. m 24
. t d, m 23
7 p. m 22
8 p. m 21
Comparative Local Record.
1917. 1118. 1915. 1914.
HlK-lK'nt Yeiteratly ..29 H3 34 40
Lowest yoftterd&y ... 20 19 29 26
Mean tempera lure .. 24 26 32 32
Precipitation T T .04 .00
Temperature and precipitation departure!
from the normal:
- Normal temperature ......4 27
PeflWenry for the day..,, 3
Total xoftw ilnca March 1 ISO
Normal precipitation . ,02 Inch
lftclency for the day 02 Inch
'.Stat rainfall since March 1. .17.50. . Incite
deficiency since March 1 11.11 Inches
Deficit ncj for cor. period, 191S.. .96 inch
Deficiency fqr cor. period, 1914.. ,11 lach
Reports from Stations at V P. M.
Station and State Temp. High- Rain-1
of Weather. ? p. m . est, fall. !
Cheyenne clear 28 . 34 .00 1
Davenport, cloudy .... 6 40 .00
Denver, clear 38 48 T
Dps Moltien, cloudy .... 22 2R .On1
Lander part cloudy 4,... 30 34 .00'
North Platte, clear .... 32 38 ,0
Omaha, part cloudy.,., 21 29 T
Puablo, cloudy . 44 CZ .00;
Rapid City, cloudy , 24 28 .01
H-ilt Luke City, cloudy., 36 44 .10
Pant Fe, cloudy 48 64 .00 I
Sheridan, cloudy ...... 2 At .02
Sioux City, clear 18 20 T
Valentine, part cloudy.. 29 28 T
T Indicates trace of precipitation.
U A. WKI.RH, Meteorologist
23
Omaha Farm Loan Bank Directors
Named by General Board Officials
G. Odell Is Only Omahan
Among Six Men Selected
for Land Bank.
D. P. HOGAN IS PRESIDENT
(From a Staff Correspondent.)
Washington, Feb. 26. (Special
Telesrram. Speculation has been
general in recent weeks as to the-
personel of the farm loan bank lo
cated at Omaha. Today the federal
farm loan board nnounced tjie fol
lowing ppointments for the federal
land bank of Omaha.
ITr.ld.nt and director, 1). P. Boon,
Masnena, la.
Vic President and director, J. M. Cnrey,
Cheyenne, Wyo.
Herniary and director, F. O. Odell,
Omaha, Neb.
Treasurer and director, E. D. Morcom,
Sloul Falls, H. I).
lllrerkn-. Warren C. Baker, Mltrhell, 8. D.
Registrar and attorney, M. L. Corey,
Hastings, b.
Who Hogan Is.
D. P. Hogan, president and direc
tor, of Massena, la., has been for
years a student of rural credits in
this country and abroad, as well as
of all phases of agriculture pertain
ing to his section. He was formerly
a member of the general assembly of
Iowa and has done much to creeat
public'lnterest in the subject of rural
credits throughout the state. He has
been a practical farmer and for the
last twenty-five years has continu
ously owned and operated farms' in
Iowa, Nebraska and Idaho. For
twenty years he has been actively en
gaged iir banking, specializing in
large farm loans; is now president
of the Farmers Savings bank of Mas
sena, la., resigning to accept this ap
pointment. j. M. Carey, vice president and di
rector of Cheyenne, was formerly gov
ernor of Wyoming and also served as
senator from that state. He was a
successful lawyer before moving p
Wyoming in 1877, where he has large
cattle interests. Mr. Carey introduced
the bill which admitted Wyoming to
FLOOD BILL GIVES
YflLSOMDTHORITY
Measure Introduced Empower
ing President to Arm Mer
chant Ships.
TO BE CONSIDERED TODAY
Washington, Feb. 26. After con
ferences with democratic and repub
lican leaders Chairman Flood of the
house foreign affairs committee in
troduced a bill late today authorizing
the president to arm merchant ships
and use "such other instrumentalities
as necessary"' toprotect them on the
high seas, and providing for a special
bond issue Of $100,000,000. The bill
was referred to the committee which
will consider it tomorrow. At the
same time the senate'! foreign rela
tions committee will consider the
president's tentative draft of a similar
measure stiunuueu uy luurman
Stone.
Sentiment generally in the house
seems to be that if the legislation
proposed limits the president to arm
ing ships or supplying convoys, it
will carry. Republicans particularly,
however, oppose any attempt that
might be made to give the president
blanket authority, which would In
volve the country in war. Chairman
Flood said that the bill would meet
this, objection: The president, he be
lieves, has no desire to be entrusted
with power to make war.
From republicans and democrats
Lwho have been pressing for forward
acuun in mc situation tnerc were vig
orous nods of approval. The element
classed as pacifist heard the address
in silence and when it was over re
frained from expressing themselves,
saying they were "thinking."
To the very end of the address
there was no applause, but when it
was concluded there was a storm of
cheering and hand clapping.
Senator Simmons, chairman of the
finance committee, said he believed
$500,000,000 would be sufficient at this
time and that it might be provided by
an amendment to the revenue bill
before the senate.
Some republican senators declared
they did not "want to sign a blank
check" for the president, and predict
ed a filibuster against legislation he
requests for the purpose of forcing an
extra session of congress.
Those republicans expressed a view
that the president's attitude was not
sufficiently definite. They woiild not
say, however, that an extra session,
which they regard as imperative,
Would be used to fight the legislation
the president requested.
The view taken by democrats is
that the president has made no un
reasonable request. '
Over Fifty Millions
For Control of Flood's
Washington, Feb. 26. A bill ap
propriating $45,000,000 for controlling
floods on the Mississippi, and $5,600,
000 for similar work on the Sacra
mento, in California, was passed to
night by the senate by a vote of 40
to 15. . It already had passed the
house.
Everybody goesQ roAuxoJhow?
ft.
statehood and is author of the
act" which has aided largely
settlement ot the state.
F. G. Odell. secretary
of Omaha, is a native of
has been a resident of Neb
jr. -
1883. He was formerly ediffir of
Nebraska farm magazine ancLie a suc
cessful farmer, being widely known
as an agricultural economist and
writer on agricultural affairs.
Mr. Odell's Record.
Mr. Odell was active in the propa-
ganda for rural credit from its incep
tion and has long ben officially con
nected with agricultural organizations.
For several years he was chairman of
the legislative committee of the Ne
braska farmers congress and a mem
ber of the executive committee of the
Farmers National congress of the
United States. He served as secre
tary of the Nebraska Rural Life com
mission, chief of bureau of agricultural
statistics for Nebraska, and at present
is executive secretary of the National
Conservation congress.
E. D. Morcom, treasurer and "di
rector, of Sioux Falls. S. D., has been
for thirty-five years identified with the
growth and development of the Da
kotas, even antedating the division of
this territory into two states. He has
traveled extensively through these
two states and is thoroughly familiar
with land values and agricultural
needs in his section.
Baker and Corey.
Warren C. Baker, director, of
Mitchell, S. D., is an agriculturalist
and extensive owner of farm lands.
He is actively engaged in practical
farming and is well informed on the
needs of the farmer in the Eighth
land bank district. N
M. L. Corey, registrar and attorney,
of Hastings, Neb., is a graduate of the
law department of the University of
Nebraska, and has successfully prac
ticed law for ten years. He was
twice elected county attorney; was
president of the State bank at Clay
Center, and is now receiver for the
First National bank of Sutton.
KUT-EL-AMARA IS
, TAKEHM BRITISH
Announcement of Capture of
Place on Tigris From Turks
JKade by Bonar Law.
MOSLEM. ARMIES RETREAT
London, Feb. 26. Kut-El-Amara
has been captured from the Turks by
the British forces, according to a
statement made in the House of
Commons today by Andrew Bonar
Law, member of the British war
council. The Turks are in retreat
toward Baghailah, twenty-four miles
to the west of Kut-El-Amara, pur
sued by British cavalry.
Mr. Bonar Law announced that as
a result of the operation on the Tigris
river front all of the lurkish posi
tions from Sannaiyat to Kut-El-Amara
have been secured and tjiat
the town ot Kut-M-Amara automat
ically passed .into the hands of the
crmsn,
Official Announcement.
The official announcement regarding
the capture of Kut-El-Amara follows
"From reports from the commander
of the Mesopotamian expeditionary
r . t .f .1
xorce ine course or operations on tttc
Tigris during the 24th was: The pas
sage of the stream at Shumran on
the 23d, was rapidly and effectively
exploited. During the following night
our oatrols Dusffed lorward boldly.
maintaining close contact with the
enemy. Early the next morning the
ridge acrojs the neck of the peninsula
was in our hands and it became evi
dent that the enemy was in full re
treat in the direction of Baghailah
twentv-four miles west of Kut-El-
Amar. Turkish depots and stores at
many points were in names anp a
strong rear guard, supported by ar
tillery had been disposed to oppose
our advance.
Cross the Tigris.
"Bv 8 o'clock in the morning
strong force of cavalry had crossed
the Tigris and at once maneuvered to
gain the flank of the Turkish line of
retreat. Throughout the day both our
cavalry and infantry were heavily en
gaged inflicting severe and as yet un
known casualties to tne enemy.
"In the. meantime our successes at
Sannaiyat were further pursued and
our infantry proceeded to capture and
secure in succession the Turkish fifth
line defenses, the Makhailat and the
Suwada positions, finally reaching the
Ataba- Marshmagasis.
Work of Aeroplanes.
Throughout the fighting our air;
plane squadron co-operated, with in
valuable results, frequently using
bombs and machine guns from mini
mum altitudes.
"In two days' fighting we captured
1,730 prisoners, including at least one
Turkish regimental commander and
four Germans; four field guns, ten
machine guns, three mine throwers
and a large quantity of rifles and am
muniton. As a result of these opera
tions the whole of the enemy s posi
tions from Sannaiyat to Kut-El-
(Oontlatwd on Van, Two Column Four.)
01
39
LINER LACONIA
v nu nnnAPi
AOI oUDotA
-0FF IRISH COAST
Cunard Passenger Ship, New
York to Liverpool, is Re
ported Torpedoed With
out Warning.
SEVERAL PERSONS MISSING
Ten Americans Among Hundred
Passengers and Twenty -Members
of Crew. i
DETAILS NOT AVAILABLE
New York, Feb. 26. The Cunard
line announced at 1:30 p. m. that it
had received confirmation from the
British admiralty of the destruction
of the Laconia and that its advices
stated there was only one casualty
thus far known. It was torpedoed
last night, the line announced. '
Twenty-six Americans, six of whom
were cabin passengers and twenty
members of the crew, were on board
the Laconia, from New York, Feb
ruary 18, for Liverpool, with seventy
five passengers and a crew of 216,
when the vessel was sunk .by a Ger
man submarine. One casualty, as
yet unidentified, was ofhciaally re
ported by the Liverpool office of the
line to officials here.
Names of Americans. s
the names ot tne American pas
sengers aim tneir anurcsses as given
by the line here, and confirmed in
part by relatives in the United States,
are:
Floyd P. Gibbons of the Chicago
Tribune.
Mrs. F, E, Harris, wife of Lieuten
ant Colonel Frank E. Harris, United
Statets coast artillery corps, stationed
at Fort Dupont, near Philadelphia.
Arthur T. Kirby, Bainbridge, N. Y.
Mrs. Mary E. Hoy, Chicago.
Miss Elizabeth Hoy, Chicago.
Rev. James Wareing, registered
from New York, but said to be from
Norfolk, Va.
The mAmericans among the crew
were signed here to take the places
of others whose terms of service had
expired or who had failed to appear
when the ship was ready to sail. The
men were recruited mostly from ship
ping offices and gave New York and
Brooklyn as their places of residence.
They were stokers, coal trimmers,
wipers and seamen.
News of Cargo.
Wihel details of the cargo of the
Laconia are withheld under a recent
ruling of the customs officials, it was
learned at the offices of the company
that the following items were among
the principal commodities carried:
One thousand bars of silver, 40,000
bushels of wheat, 2,843 bales of cot
ton, 1,408 boxes of fresh fruit, 3,000
tons of shell casings and other war
supplies and V.OUU tons or provisions.
It was positively stated by officials
of the line that there were no explo
sives on board. ;
In addition to cargo and passen
gers, the Laconia carried 5.000 bags
of United Statets and Canadian mail,
1,300 sacks of which had been trans
ferred from the American liner St.
Louis. The Laconia, sailing on the
same date. the-Holland-American liner
Ryndarn returned to port after being
turned back from her voyage to Rot
terdam by the submarine menca.e had
on board nine of the Ryndam's pas
sengers. Had One Defense Gun.
The Laconia, when it left here, was
armed with one defense gun, mount
ed aft. The report that the ship was
torpedoed at night and without warn
ing indicates that there was no op
portunity to use the detense gun,
according to officials of the line.
The Laconia is the second ship to
be sunk of the former Boston-Liver-
oool service of the Cunard line. A
sister ship, the Franconia, was sunk
last October in the Mediterranean
while in the British government serv
ice. Both vessels were taken over
by the British admiralty soon after
the war began, and the Laconia was
for a while used in the service of the
government as a transport. It was
only recently restored to its owners
for commercial purposes, and the trip
on which it was sunk was its third
after coming back to the service for
which it was built. Several of the
officers in the steward's department
on the Laconia were on the Franconia
when she went down.
The registered gross tonnage of
the Laconia was 18,150. Its length
was 625 feet and it had a beam of
seventy-two feet. Designed for high
class passenger service its fittings
were models of modern marine archi
tecture. No steerage passengers were on
board the ship and those not Ameri
can were mostly English or Cana
dian, many of the latter being on
their way to England to engage in
government service, or returning to
duty after leavesof absence at home.
, A list of twenty Americans in the
crew of the Laconia on lite in the
(Continued an Page Two, Column Three.)
Richardson Farmers
Testify in Rate Case
Several farmers from Richardson
county were examined yesterday af
ternoon by Deputy Attorney Gen
eral Dexter T. Barrett when the hear
ings were resumed before Special
Master Gaines in the Missouri Pa
cific 2-cent rate case. They testified
as to land values in Richardson coun
ty along the right of way.
The case will be continued this
morning, Lommissioners flail and I Western league team, it was an
Wilson appearing for the coinmis-1 nounced last night. Members of Ihe
sioii, and Deputy Attorney General Denver team have been requested to
Barrett for the commission and state, report for training on March 25.
In All Its
CIVIL SERVICE BILL
FOR OMAHA PASSES
- -
Senate Unit for Measure
Change System in the
Metropolis. .
to
BANKS BID 70S FUNDS
(From a Stafl Correspondent.)
Lincoln, Feb. 26. (Special.) Civil
service for employe! of the city of
Omaha to be administered by a civil
service commissioner, received a boost
this afternoon when the bill, which
was introduced by the Douglas coun
ty delegation, wa.s. passed by the sen
ate by a vote of 29 to 0 with the
emergency clause.
The senate spent most of the aft
ernoon on third reading, passing, the
Adams bill for the return to banks
of state guaranty fund after voluntary
liquidation and also the Hushec
Adams bill requiring banks to bid on
state funds. The former passed by
a vote of 22 to 8 with the emergency
clause, but the latter failed with the
emergency clause and finally passed
without it, the vote standing 19 to 11.
since congress has been memorial
ized to make publiciquor tax receipts
in dry states, over the protest of
Senator Mattes and others, they sena
tor himself proposed a resolution at
the opening of the senate this after
noon to require that data on income
taxes he turned over by internal reve
nue officers to the revenue officers of
the state.
The plan is designed to get at tax
dodgers, for whom Senator Mattes, in
senate speeches, has indicated a pro
nounced abhorrence. The resolution
will go pn the table a day, under the
rules.
The other passed were:
R. V. 118, Wtlaon, Dodge charter amend
ment for cttiei 6,000 to 20.000, drafted hy
city attornevn durlnc recent Devttia Htlffa-
tion In nuureme court. Bill Increeeee power
oi mayor ami council, increasee e&ianea ana
ellmlnatei red tape In creation of paving
rilHtrlcta. Kmersenoy clauae. Fanned, 20
to 13.
8. V. 41. Neat, Nemaha-Orantina euetody
of minora at discretion of court, If no di
vorce li granted In auch autta, Faaaed, 2ti
to 2.
S. V. 214, Clmppell, Mlnden Act to au
thorise counties to establish county fairs,
either by county boards or by vote of peo
ple. Also to buy ground for fairs. Passed,
29 to 0.
8. F. T, Beal, Caster To notify unknown
heirs by publication. Paused, u to 0.
S. F. 100, Howell, amended by Robertson
to repeat voting macntno law, rassea
:t to 4.
S. F. 17, ' Lahnem, Thayer Prohibits
watering stock In private trough without
owner's consent. Passed, 20 to 0.
H. B. 40. Llrrett-Norton Bill for car
distribution on basis of relative amount of
buslncas from each shipper. Passed, 22 to
I, with emergency. , '
H. it. 17, Thomas-Walt Permitting cities,
counties and village to. establish forest
areas. Passed, 20 to 0.
II. P.. 2, Morlarty'e amendment to Nor
ton's constitutional convention bill, slnioll
fylng languaKe and eliminating "whereas"
clauses. Passed, 20 to 0. does to house for
concurrence on amendment.
'
Fourteen in Crew of
" French Airship Killed
Berlin, Feb. 26. (Via London.)
Fourteen men were killed by the de
struction of the French airship re
ported in yesterday's official, com
munication to have been- brought
down by the German defensive fire.
The official report says:
"The Frenclv airship brought down
on Friday niglit was set ablaze by our
anti-aircraft fire. It fell in flames
near Wcelferdingen, west of Saarge-
mund (in Lorraine). When it lauded
the ammunition which it carried ex
ploded-. The crew, consisting of
fourteen men, were killed."
Denver Team Signs j
Catcher Ernest Pike
Denver. Colo., Feb. 26. Ernest
Pike of San Diego, C'al. has been
signed as catcher for the Denver
Glory
TEUTONS BAG FIVE "
MILLIONS OF TONS
Germany Gives Figures on En
tente and Neutral Shipping
' Sunk of Condemned.
!1WS UP TO FEBRUARY FIRST
4 '' ' ' - ' . ' ' . .''','"
Berlin," Feb. 26 (By Wireless to
SayviHf). Merchant shipping aggre
gating 4,998,800 tons belDiiging to en
tente and neutral nations has been de
stroyed or condemned as prices by
the central powers since the begin
ning of the war, it was officially an
nounced today. ' v -
Apparently this total covers a
period up to the end of January,, 1917,
only, as no figures for tRe present
month are given. The official state
ment reads:
"During January last 170 merchant
ships of hostile powers, with a total
of 3J6.000 gross tons, were destroyed
as a result of the war measures of
the central powers. Of them, ninety
one vessels, with an aggregate of
245,000 gross tons, were British. Be
sides these, fifty-eight neutral mer
chant ships, totaling 103,500 gross
tons, were sunk on account of carry
ing contraband for the enemy.
"The total loss in shipping for the
mouth was 228 vessels with a total of
439,500 gross tons.
.Since the beginning ot the war
4,357,500 gross tons of hostile mer
chant shipping has been destroyed.
Of this 3,314500 tons was British.
"In addition the sea forces of the
Central powers have sunk or con
demned as prizes 459 neutral vessels,
or 641,000 gross tonnage."
Orleans, American
Freighter, Passes
Through War Zone
Paris, Feb. 26. The .'American
freighter Orleans has been signaled
entering the mouth of the Girontle,
according to a Bordeaux dispatch to
the Havas agency.' The Orleans will
dock tomorrow morning.
The Orleans and the freighter
Rochester were the first American
vessels to leave the United States for
Europe after diplomatic relations
wilh Germany were seSered. Both
ships sailed from New York on Feb
ruary 10 for Bordeaux unarmed. They
cre said by their owners to be load
ed with noncontraband.
William Cahill, Former
U. P. Superintendent, Dead
William Cahili, formerly superin
tendent of the Union Pacific and a
resident of Omaha many years before
he went west, died Saturday evening
ilv Los Angeles, a few minutes alter
he had partaken of his dinner in the
usual manner. Acute indigestion was
the cause of death.
He was 51 years of age is survived
by a wife. He was superintendent of
the Missouri, Kansas Be Jexas com
pany at Smithvillc, Tex, He left the
service of the Union Pacific two years
ago. '
J nomas Lalnll. only brother, re
sides at 807 William street. He de
parted for Los Angeles on Sunday,
British Advance on
Ancre Two Miles
Loudon, Feb. 2(i. The British ad
vance alnng the Ancre river has at
tained a depth of two miles and ex
tends along a front of about eleven
milt:;, according to the official rcnort
from British headquarters in France j
tonight. .
WILSON ASKS FOR
POWER TO DEAL
WITHGERMANY
Executive Bequests Authority
of Congress to Declare a
, State of Armed Neu- j
trality. ,t
TALES TO JOINT SESSION
President Hears News of Sink
ing of Liner On His Way .
to Capitol. '
ARM OR CONVOY SHIPS
Washington, Feb 26. President
Wilson appeared before congress at
1 o'clock this afternoon and asked for
authority to place the United States
in a state of "armed neutrality" to re
sist the German submarine menace.
Continued invasion of the plain
rights of neutrals on the high seas,
further sacrifices of American lives
and ships, the intolerable blockade
of American commerce almost as ef
fectual as if the country were at war
have taken the plac" of a dreaded
"overt act" which was expected to
shock the world and have, forced the
president iuto the next step toward
war.
President Wilson, asking to be em
powered to take whatever steps are
necessary, which includes the arming
of ships, the convoying of merchant
men by war vessels, or what other
steps are necessary, made it plain
again that he-wanted peace, but not
at the price 'of American jives and
rights, or by driving the American
flag from the seas. "
' Hears of Sinking of Laconia.
News of the sinking of the Cunard
liner Laconia with Americans aboard
was received here as the president
was on his way to address congress
Although without details, its graver
possibilities added emphasis to , the
president's words, 1
Congress is expected not only to
authorize the president to use the
armed forces, of the couMry, but also
to provide money., ' 1
Once-before in the infancv of the
republic a state of armed neutrality J-'t'
was proclaimed tcr check predatory
violence" upon American rights in
the war between France and Eng- '
land,, but did not result actually in
war for the United States. . ...
(Whether another' armed neutrality
will mean -wan depends on whether
Germany realizes that the United
States is ready to protect its neutral
rights by whatefer means are neces
sary. . .)!'- .-,
With a fiftll realization of the sol
emnity of the occasion, the president
took his action today with the calm
confidence that congress and the
country will stand behind him.
The grim-faced body of senators
and. representatives who less than a
month ago heard the p-csident pro
nounce the words-which announced a
severance of diplomatic relations with
Germany an act which in all the
history of first-class nations always
has led to war heard today in tense
silence and grave attention the words
which carry the AmericT republic a
step further in its stand against ruthless-,
sacrifice of neutral rights and
lives and a step nearer war if it must
be. ,
President Wilsou ' arrived at the
capitol just before . 1 o'clock and
promptly at that hour stepped up to
the clerk's desk in the hall of the
house, where both branches of con
gress, meeting in special joint ses
sion, were assembled before him.
Proposes to Arm Ships. 1
Devoutly expresiing the hope that
it would not become necessary to "put
armed force into, action," the presi
dent specifically asked for authority
Ko supply American merchant ships
wuii, ttciensive arms, : wun tne means
of using them" and. to "employ any
other, instrumentalities," a well as a
"sufficient credit" to enable him to
provide, "adequate means of protec
tion." This, without being specific in
terms, was a request for the use of
the army and navy and the necessary
money to make them effective.
Behind the right of Americans, the
president declared, he was thinking of
the rights of humanity, but through
it. all he proclaimed to the world a
policy of peace, if peace be possible.
He disclaimed thinking of war or
steps that might lead to it and de
clared that the American people
wanted to exercise none but the rights
of peace. ,
"No course of my choosing, or of
(Oontlnnfld on Pnrn T( tfy Columa On?.)
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rNow'