Show T vr o fiN STATES FORMALLY AT WAR WARt AR t WITH GERMANY Congress Declares That a State of War Exists 4 SENATE IS FIRST TO ACT Six Members of Upper House Vote Against Resolution After Heated Debate Representatives Debate Representatives Adopt Measure by OverwhelmIng Overwhelm Overwhelm- Ing Majority Washington April 0 Responding a.-Responding quickly to President Wilsons Wilson's stirring message and to the evident e demand of ot the people of the United States congress has formally declared that a state of ot war exists between this country country coun coun- try and Germany due to the hostile acts of or the imperial government The senate was the first to act on the war resolution and adopted it by a vote ote of ot 82 to 0 a. The six sir senators who voted against the resolution for tor war were ASLE J. J GRONNA Republican North Dakota HARRY LANE c Oregon R. R M. M LA FOLLETTE Republican Wisconsin G. G W. W NORRIS Republican Ne Ne- braska WILLIAM J J. J STONE Democrat Missouri J. J K VARDAMAN Democrat Mis Mis- lh There Th re were eight senators absent or paired They were Bankhead Goff Gore Hollis Newlands Smith of ot Maryland Thomas and Tillman Tiliman Of Ot those absent It was announced that all except Senator Gore of ot Oklahoma would have voted for the resolution if It pr resent present sent All six of ot the senators who voted against th the resolution were members of ot the group of twelve twel which defeated defeated de de- de the armed neutrality bill at the thelast thelast thelast last session There was no attempt to filibuster this time however i r r Thirteen Hour Debate Thirteen n hours hour of ot heated debate preceded nH vote Party lines disappeared disappeared dis dis- dis appeared in this C CJ and Republicans lI jo d with D Democrats in n sounding sound ing the call to the he nation to support the tLe president nt If Tl The little ittle group opposed to the gr up resolution resolution reso reso- lution drew fire from every ery side Senator Senator Sen Sen- ator La Follette defending Q Germany m and heaping blame upon England was informed by Senator Williams that Dr von yon Hollweg Bethmann-Hollweg the German chancellor would have made the same speech in the reichstag had he been Imbued with sufficient effrontery Senator Norris charging that the United States is going Iong to war at the behest of ot the barons of ot Wallstreet Wall WallStreet Wallstreet street drew from Senator Reed the retort retort retort re re- re- re tort that such an accusation is almost almost almost al most treason The assertion that the nation was goIng go go- ing to war on the demand of gold he said was an indictment of ot the dent of ot the United States an Indictment Indict indict- ment meat of ot congress of ot the American people peo peo- pie and of ot the truth Tho Th president is not calling AmerIca Amer Amer- ica lea to arms for tor the sake of ot a 0 few paltry dollar dollars Senator Reed continued contin but for the life honor and integrity integrity in in- of ot this country Introduced by Hitchcock In introducing the resolution into the Ben senate ate Senator Hitchcock made a 0 brief statement in which he said that the Cle present time was one for lor action not discussion The Thi time for tor discussion discussion has passed he said The president has stated clearly cleary effectively more conclusively conclusively con con- elusively the reasons which make this grave step necessary The resolution provides for tor war against the imperial German government go It places re- re for tor the war squarely upon the shoulders of the German government govern govern- ment charged with repeated acts of vr against the United States We want no more territory We win will demand no indemnity We have no grudge to settle nor racial anti anti- pathy We will spend our treasure and our blood and sacrifice our lives without the thought of ot gain Such quarrel as we have with Germany Ger Gei- many ninny Is not of our choosing It was forced d us and did Iu much h t to we upon and h P A w IJ avoid It For nearly three years the I president congress and anti the American people have hoped to avoid It But Butone Butone one desperate act by the Imperial German German Ger Ger- man government has followed an other German Pledges Broken Senator was followed by Senator Swanson of ot Virginia who said the German Gelmon government has repeatedly repeat repent edl edly and grossly grossl violated its treaty obligations ob ob- ob to us us and wantonly broken solemn assurances The Issue Is s not peace pence or war Senator Senator Sen Sen- i ator Swanson continued War has already already al 01 al- al ready been declared upon us The Issue Issue issue Is Is- sue is whether we shall accept war or abject and cowardly submission Reciting the sinking of ot American ships German plots and outrages In Inthis Inthis inthis this country Senator Swanson said the plot to incite Mexico against this country reaches the lowest lowest low low- est depths of ot national turpitude We have long suspected a n disposition disposition disposition tion by Germany German to dispute the Monroe doctrine he added Now is the time timeto to teach tench this mischief-making mischief German government that our territorial sovereignty cannot be made a 0 subject of ot war bargaining What else can cnn Germany do to wage war against us When the war-made war autocracy that now rules Germany has been chastened or overthrown ties oi of friendship now severed se will be ed Many other senators took part In the debate Gronna Stone Norris and LaFollette all opposing the resolution Senator Smoot made the last speech a a short prayer that God would hasten the day when liberty will be enjoyed by all the peoples of ot the earth The roll call cal was taken while the senators and spectators sat solemn A Afew Afew few cheers greeted the result and then all filed quietly out of ot the chamber House Vote to 50 The house after a debate lasting about seventeen hours adopted the joint resolution by a vote of ot to 50 Nearly a hundred representatives es made speeches In offering the senate resolution as asa asa asa a substitute for tor Its own the house bouse foreign for tor eign elga affairs committee submitted a along along along long report reviewing the history of ot submarine warfare and Americas America's futile fu tu tile protests against It t German intrigues intrigues in in- and bomb plots In this country the effort to all ally Japan and Mexico against the United States and the mistreatment mistreatment mis mis- treatment of ot American officials and citizens in Germany It is Is with the deepest sense of ot responsibility re re- sp for the momentous results which will follow tollow the passage of ot this resolution said the report that your committee reports It to the house bouse with the recommendation that It be passed The conduct of the Imperial German German Ger Ger- man government toward this government government govern govern- ment Its citizens and Its Interests has been so discourteous unjust cruel barbarous and so lacking In honesty a and practice e that it It has constituted a 0 violation of the course of ot conduct which should obtain between friendly nations In addition to this the German government government government gov gov- is actually making war upon the people and commerce of ot this country country coun try and leaves no course open to this government but to accept its gage of ot battle and declare that a state of ot war exists Flood Opens the Debate Under the unanimous consent rule by which the resolution was considered Representative e Flood could move the previous pre question at any time after one hour and if It sustained bring the measure measure meas meas- ure to a vote He lie was disposed however how ever to give members every ery opportunity opportunity to speak throughout the day The debate began belan without any limitation War Var Is being made upon our country country coun coun- try and Its people Representative Flood said In o opening Our ships are being sunk Our noncombatant citizens citizens citi citi- z zens ns Including men women and cM dren are being murdered our merchantmen merchantmen mer mer- are denied the freedom of ot me seas There is no choice as to our course We Ve are compelled b by tho the acts of ot the German government to enter Into into In in- to this most colossal warThe warThe war The IThe time for argument has passed the time for heroic action Is here and our people will rally to the support of ot their government in this high and patrIotic pa pa- hour and meet wars war's sacrifices and wars war's perils as a brave and patriotic patriotic patri patri- otic people should We Ve should take our st stand nd f. f tf- tf the tho f side of the allied nations who i hive have lve been fighting humanity's battles for tor two and one half years determined that our power shall be so employed that complete victory shall crown their I efforts ad that Prussian militarism be crushed and the world shall be he delivered ell from the threat and danger of t the l dynasty |