# ' ' - - . - • • • •• ' " * "-r * r •* 71-. * - President Asks Congress For Authority to (Jse HARRISBURG TELEGRAPH LXXXVI— No. 49 WILSON ASKS TO PLACE U. S. IN STATE OF "ARMED NEUTRALITY" NEXT STEP TOWARD WAR IS TAKEN Continued Invasion of Plain Rights of Neutrals on High Seas, Further Sacrifices of American Lives and Ships, the Intolerable Blockade of American Commerce Take Place of Dreaded "Overt Act" and Force President to Go Before Congress. ASKS POWER TO TAKE WHATEVER STEPS MAY BE DEEMED NECESSARY IN CRISIS V. S. Ships Will Either Be Armed or Convoyed Across Sea by War Vessels; Wants Peace But Not at Price of American Lives or Rights; Grim-Faced Body of Sena tors and Representatives Hear Plea of Chief Execu tive in Grave Silence. Washington, D. C., Feb. 26.—President Wilson ap peared before Congress at 1 o'clock this afternoon and asked for authority to place the United States in a state of armed neutrality to resist 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 effectual as if the country were at war—have taken the place of a dreaded "overt act" which was expected to shock the world —and have forced the President into the next step toward war. Congress Will liac-k lliiu President Wilson, asking to be em-1 powered to take whatever steps are ; necessary which includes the arming; 3f ships, the convoying of merchant- i men by war vessels or what other j steps are necessary, made it plain I again that he wanted peace, but not it the price of American lives and ! rights or by driving the American I flag from the seas. Congress is expected not only to I luthorlze the President to use the ! * irmed forces of the country but also ! .o provide money. Once before, in the infancy of the ' republic a state of armed neutrality j was proclaimed to check "predatory ; violence" upon American rights, in j the war between Prance and England, but it did not result actually in war ( for the United States. May Mean War Whether another armed neutrality I will mean war depends on whether • Jermany realizes that the United 1 States is ready to protect its neutral j rights by whatever means are neces- i sary. With a full realization of the i solemnity of the occasion, the Presi- ' dent took his action to-day with the j • •aim 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 President pro nounce the words which announced a severance of diplomatic relations with Jjermany —an act which in all the his tory of first class nations always has led to war—heard to-day in tense si CONGRESS HEARS TEXT OF SPEECH "Gentlemen of the Congress: "I have again asked the privilege of addressing you because we are mov ing through critical times during ■which it seems to me to be my duty to keep m ciose touch with the Houses of Congress so that neither counsel nor action shall run at cross purposes between us. "On the third of February I official ly informed you of the sudden and un expected action of the Imperial Ger man government in declaring its in tention to disregard the promises it had made to this government in April last and undertake immediate sub marine operations against all com merce whether of belligerents or of neutrals, thkt should seek to approach Great Rritain and Ireland, the Atlan tic coasts of Europe, or the harbors of the eastern Mediterranean and'to conduct those operations without re gard to the established restrictions of international practice, without regard to any considerations of humanity even which might interference with their object. That policy was forth with put into practice. It has now been in active execution for nearly four weeks. "Its practical results are not fully disclosed. The commerce of other neutral nations is suffering severely, but not. perhaps very much more se verely than it was already suffering before the first of February, when the new policy of the imperial government IN as put Into operation. We have ask ed the co-operation of the other neu tral governments to prevent these dep radiatlons, but I fear none of them has thought it wise to Join us in any com mon course of action. Our own com merce has suffered, is suffering, rather 18 PAGES llence and grave attention the words which carry the American republic a step further in its stand against ruth less sacrifice of neutral rights and lives and a step nearer war, if it must i be. j Immediately after the President left the Capitol a meeting of the House Foreign Affairs Committee was called i and Chairman Stone, of the Senate 1 Foreign Relations Committee, said his committee would be called together I later this afternoon. Need 8300,000,000 Senator Simmons, chairman of the Finance Committee, said he believed $000,000,000 would be sufficient at; this time and that it might be provided by an amendment to the revenue bill now before the Senate. Some Republican Senators declared that they did not "want to sign a blank check" for the President and predicted a filibuster against the leg islation 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 would not say, however, that an extra session, which they regarded as imperative would be used to fight the legislation the President requested. The view taken by Democrats is that the President has made no unreason able request. President Wilson arrived at the t.apitol just before 1 o'clock and promptly at that hour stepped up to 1 the clerk's desk in the hall of the i House where both branches of Con gress, meeting in special joint session ! were assembled before him. He spoke as follows: i in apprehension than in fact, rather because so many of our ships are tlm idly keeping to their home porta than sunk"" 6 American ships have been Two U. 8. Ships Snnk "Two American vessels have been sunk, the Housatonic and the Lyman Law. The cane of the Housatonlc which was carrying foodstuffs con signed to a London firm.wua essentially like the case of tho Frye In which It will be recalled, the German vovern mem admitted its liability for dam uget*. and the lives of the crew, tis in the case of the Frye: wer safeguard ed with reasonable care. The case of the Law which was carrying lemon box staves to Palermo disclosed a ruthlessness of method which deserves grave condemnation, but was accompanied by no circum stances which might not have been ex pected at any time in connection with the use of the submarine against mer chantmen as the German government has used it. "Overt Act" Xot Xeecssary "In sum, therefore, the situation we find ourselves in with regard to the actual conduct of the German submar ine warfare against commerce and its effects upon our own ships and people! is substantially the same that It was when I addressed you on the third of 1- ebruary, except for the tying up of our shipping in our own ports because of the unwillingness of our ship own [Continued on Page .16' HARRISBURG, PA., MONDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 26, 1917. MUSTERING OUT OF HARRISBURG ALREADY mwKBM V . ttllßU m. y3L|^p^T*^ yw WIJKS^m m* M^lM| FROM TRAIN TO ARMORY " Photographs snapped by the Telegraph photographer tell the story of the welcome given the returned guards nn/rf°n h '? *Z r n JS ry at Seco "? and Porster streets. The first picture shows the troops as they de trained, the second the great throng watching the parade In Market street Two United States Army Officers Arrive to Transfer Men From Uncle Sam's to State's Service; Supply Com pany First to be Examined; Regimental Band to be Located Here Under Reorganization; 50,000 Peo ple in Streets to Welcome Men in Khaki; Great Throngs Cheer From Station to Armory; Home Committee to Give Banquet and Dance to Troopers March 5 Mustering out of the Ilarrisburg companies of the Eight Rcpi ment, who yesterday returned home amid the cheers of more than 50,000 people, began to-day. Before the end of this week most of the details of the mustering out should be completed and the city's soldiers wilt again be members of the Pennsylvania National Guard. The mustering out of the Supply Company from the United States service began at 8.30 this morning at the Armory, Second and I'orster streets. Captain Edward H. Schell with thirty-two members of the company were the first to receive the customary physical examination. Lieutenant Colonel Guy H. Pres ton, Second United States Cavalry, Fort Ethan Allen, Vermont, and Cap tain Samuel J. Turnbull, surgeon at Fort Greble, Newport, Rhode Island, have been detained to do the muster ing out work. They arrived in the city this morning. Duo to the fact that clearance papers and other de tails were attended to before the troops left the border, the work of transferring fhe Harrlsburg com i panies from the United States army to the National Guard will be soon completed, it is believed. Colonel Maurice E. Finney and staff and the headquarters company of the Eighth Regiment will next receive the attention of the mustering of ficers, according to plans outlined to day. Companies D and I and tha j £llt Star- ftnfcfprn&cnt Machine Gun Company will bo the last to be called. In the meantime all companies will repoH every morn ing at 9 o'clock at the Armory for orders. To Locate Hand Here Plans for the future of the Eighth Regiment will be announced after the mustering out is completed. It Is lunderstood that Ifarrisburg will become an Important military cen ter. Headquarters 6f the Eighth will be in this city, nnd in addition to the five companies, it Is the plan to have the nighth Regiment band now located at Carlisle transferred to Har risburg. Colonel Maurice E. Kinney will confer with Adjutant General, [Continued on Page 12] ' Other Troop News On l*Hge 3 ' START CAMPAIGN OF EDUCATION AGAINST PRICES | Children in New York Dis tributing Circulars Urg ing Boycott • Washington, Feb. 2.—Appro print ion of 80,000,000 Tor federal , relief in ilie present rod sltua i tlon and furl her investigation to devise better marketing and dls ti'ibiition methods was propositi ! in a resolution introduced to-day by .Senator Rorah, of Idalio. <Vc | tlon was deferred. Kxpenditurc of tlie money at the discretion of the President was pro|K>scd by Senator Rorah. who had his resolution left 011 | Uie table to be called up later. It would authorize the Presl | dent to spend any part of the sum [ "to Rive aid to local authorities in furnishing food and clothing j to those now actually suffering," i and for such general action as the President may deem necessary | to relieve "want or hunger" now I existing. Investigation of the causes of rising prices and whether viola tion of the antitrust laws is in volved, is proposed. Xew York. Keb. 2fi.—A campaign of ' education against high food prices' was extended to-day through several avenues. This plan was adopted by the Board of Health, after an inves tigation to ascertain just how much (Continued on Page 18J Single Copy, 2 Cents LACONIA, OF 18,099 TONS, TORPEDOED Great Canard Liner With Ten Americans Among 100 Passengers Aboard Sent to Bottom. SURVIVORS ARE SAID TO NUMBER 270; WILL BE LANDED TONIGHT Largest Vessel Sunk Since Opening of U-Boat Campaign; President Gets Word as He Is Enroate to Congress. Queenstown, l'cb. 26.—The Cunard Line steamship Laconia, of 18,099 tons gross, which sailed from New York, February 18, for Liverpool has been sunk. Ihe survivors of the Laconia arc said to number 270. They will be landed to-night. Torpedoed Withdut Warning London, l*eb. 26.—1t is stated authentically that the Laconia was torpedoed without warning. Wesley Frost, American consul at Queenstown, telegraphed the American embassy here to-day: "Cunarder Laconia torpedoed 10.50 Sunday night. Two hun dred and seventy-eight survivors landed. Details lacking but known some missing, one dead." New \ork, l'eb. 26. Ihe Cunard liner Laconia sailed from New ork on February 18 with 100 passengers among whom were ten or more Americans. I lie Laconia was one of the largest vessels of the Cunard fleet and the largest thus far sunk since the new German submarine war fare was commenced. She registered 18.099 trtns, was 600 feet long, 71 feet beam and 40 feet depth. She was built in 1911 at New Castle. Twenty Americans, all native horn wrere members o£ the crew of the La eonia. Americans in first class cabins on the Laconia included: Miss Phyllis Barker. New York; Arthur T. Kirby, Bainbridge, N. J.; Mrs. F. E. Harris, New York; P. P. Gibbons, of the Chicago Tribune; Mary Efl. Hoy, and Miss Elizabeth of Chicago. There was also one Am erican in the second class cabin, the Rev. James Wareing, of New York, making a total of seven. Eight passengers who weere aboard the Holland-American liner Ryndam which returned to port to avoid the (I' ** ' *^f' ** "V"* ■y ■ •• n i ~i , GERMANS BOMBARD ENGLISH CITIES I > ! LONDON, FEB. 26. GERMAN DESTROYERS \ BOMBARDED BROADSTAIRS AND MARGATE L EARLY THIS MORNING. ONE WOMAN AND ONE 1 f CHILD WERE KILLED AND TWO PERSONS WERE INJURED. TWO HOUSES WERE DAMAGED. THIS * * ANNOUNCEMENT WAS MADE IN THE HOUSE OF |j COMMONS TO-DAY BY SIR EDWARD CARSON, 1 J j I FIRST LORD OF ADMIRALTY. ; , TORPEDOED WITHOUT WARNING - f LONDON, FEB. 26.— 1T IS STATED A U THEN- 1 TICALLY THAT THE LACONIA WAS TORPEDOED * Nj WITHOUT WARNING. ' j ■ j BURLINGAME TRUSTEE NAMED . Harrisburg.—G. R. Hurd, was appointrd trustee in th T l! bankruptcy proceedings against Gayle Burfingame, Harris- I I burg, at a meeting of the creditors held in the office or ! j Referee John T. Olmsted this .ifternoon. Mr. Burlingamc l[ i placed his assets at ?573 and his liabilities at $1,734 83 ii t * > COUNCIL MEETS SOLICITOR . 1 ' Members of City Council went into a confcience ! i City Solicitor John E. Fox, at the latter's home, 224 North I \ 1 Front street, at 4 o'clock, this afternoon. The question of f I ' bow to insure the , I discussed. > > j FIND MURDERED MAN j . Hershey, Pa., Feb. 26.-r-Tbe body of an Austrian known |l i as "Allentown Scotty," was found in tberoad near here ' . l early this morning. He had been shot in the stomach e'vi -1 dently la6t night by an unknown man. Coronet Ec&nget 1 > t ■ ib investigating. \ ' CITY COUNCIL WANTS ASH SURVEY ■ \ ' i J i That City Council plan immediately for a survey of the ' i ash and garbage situation is the recommendation that'wii'l J < put before City Council to-morrow by David E. Tracy, ! president of the Harrisburg Chamber of Commerce, at the , < 1 x v, i ( j. MARRIAGE LICENSES /.nplto Dl Nartlll and Annie T. KoIIkI, city. . ► ' ?./•••L""? Ann " H - *, Ilockernvlllr. * > h ' lmJ W. Miller, Mrchanleaburß. nnd llrulnh M. IMHIIIitn, Cnmp Hill. vt< * Vt"" i VW" HOME EDITION danger of the submarine menace, sail ed on the I.aconia. None were Amer icans. The I.aeonia was commanded by Captain W. R. D. Irvine. First cabin passengers totals 38 and second cabin 42. The crew numbered 216. There were no steerage passen gers. Five thousand sacks of United States mail were carried by the I.a eonia, of which 1,300 were transferred from the American liner St. Liouit when it was decided to hold the lattei vessel in port. Many valuable securi ties and documents sent by America'! business firms were supposed to be I i the St. mail bags.
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