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Show WILSON ASKS FOR ARID POWER DETERMINED TO PRESIDENT Dfcl t PCnVsuRaARN.nes. Violation of Rf Rinrkade Br ngs Chief exci-u BBetore Congress With Appeal for Authority to Act. , President Wilson, on rine menace to put tue state of armed neutrality. The mediate response was the introduct on in the house oi approved in advance by the president powering him to furnish guns and runners to American merchantmen Sd to "employ such other instn, mentaiities and methods become neces,, -a $100,000,000 bond issue, to be used in his discretion for war insurance to encourage American commerce to brave the submarine peril. The president's long-expected ax. tion, while received in the main with expressions of support, threatens to force an extra session of congress. Standing at the clerk's desk in the hall of the house, grave, calm, speaking speak-ing earnestly in the attitude now fa-, miliar, the president delivered his address while congress sat in tense, respectful silence, fully impressed with the soberness of the occasion. No cheers and applause such as have burst out before punctuated his sentences. sen-tences. By common consent the mem-! bers refrained from demonstrations There were vigorous nods of approval from Democrats and Republicans who have been urging a forward course; silence and indications of reserved thought from those opposed. But at the conclusion of the ad-dress, ad-dress, when the president spoke of the fundamental rights on which are based the structure of family, state and liberty, and said, "I cannot imagine imag-ine a man with Amreican principles in his heart hesitating to defend these things," cheers resounded through the chamber. For four weeks an unrestricted submarine warfare, the president told congress, has seen the destruction of at least two American ships, American commerce driven in a large measure from the seas through fear of the underseas peril, and a resulting congestion con-gestion of America's vital Industries, growing more serious every day. The fact that more American lives had not been lost, he said, was due to the fact that German submarine com-manders com-manders had exercised "an unexpect- uk,iwu aUU 1 CD U clilll, IttLUei than because of the instructions under which they were acting. To be unprepared, un-prepared, with congress out of session, ses-sion, the president said, would be "most imprudent." Consequently he asked for authority to act. During the course of his address, President Wilson told congress: I am not proposing nor contemplating war or any steps that might lead to war. War can only come by the wilful acts and aggressions of others. I must ask for your sufSorting authority au-thority in the most general terms. We must defend our commerce and the lives of our people with discretion, but with clear and steadfast purpose. I request that you will authorize me to supply our merchant ships with defensive arms, should that become necessary, and with the means of us- 5 ui, anu to employ any other instrumentalities in-strumentalities or methods that may be necessary and adequate to protect pro-tect our ships and our people In their legitimate and peaceful .pursuits on the seas. JLr,eqUeSt.also a S1ltficient credit to ,m?- to provide adequate means war risk adeqUate insunce againsi I feel that I ought to obtain from you moment to exercise. No doubt l l Z yi ,P3SeSS tl,at authority without special warrant of law """out Our own commerce is suffering rather in apprehension than in fact idTrepingTo11 T Ehips -juiy Keeping to their home ports thin VhilPn hVing 'been su'k accompinTe7Cyndner" "n' b use oi tie subm?HneCU0n Wlth UlG chantmen as the Cn nBainst m"" has used it Gennan government armedrneutrali,ye llxX? to have to maintain an f 6 ,S,llaU now i abundant |