| Show DEMOCRAT LEADERS ADOPT CHANGE OF I TACTICS TACTIC Will Will- Clamp Down Lid on onD Discussion D' D 0 of f 5 S 'S 1 rin rne rine Warf r STAND BY PRESIDENT R Resolutions Seeking to Discredit Discredit Dis DS credit credit- Foreign Policy Will Be Barred Ground on Which h hU U U. S. S Might Yield If one belligerent commits an illegal act certainly the other bell belligerent gerent against whom that act is directed should not have Its hands handi tied a high hig administration official said tonight G Germany Germany claims claims secret orders orders' issued to o c commanders of of British merchant ships instructing them in Defiance of all ill accepted rules of int international law is the illegal act against which the March 1 decree was wis was issued asa as a i re re- nisal Washington officials indicate t if the charge harge is proved it would bel only an an act eat of safety and no act to advise American citizens of a a danger that hat might confront them them b by sailing on in armed I ships because e such ships were cere the the object object of a j not Jeg legal reprisal I. I t By United P Pr Press s S 26 II k V his ve r- r rJ J p ans r hext Monday aft after they had d decided de- de earlier in the fhe day to permit a a I t test st vote ote on the broad broad question of ot upp the president in all international inter inter- I national affairs The lid on discussion I of f the s submarine issue will be tighter than han ihan ever ever Jn in the the senate as well as asIn Jn th the he house The The change was wa attributed attributed to information information mation nation given to Senator Senator Stone chairman chair chair- pan man pan of the foreign relations commission commis commis- ion sion regarding the text of ot a reply received received re- re from one of ot the entente powers to 0 the armed merchantmen not dis- dis dispatched dis dis- p patched by Secretary Lansing It was was likewise hinted perhaps po political po- po strategy was was responsible for calling ailing off oft a scheme advanced by Sen- Sen Continued on page e 2 2 DEMOCRAT LEADERS Continued from page 1 1 at r L Lewis Democratic whip to to Intro Intro- cl duce ce and obtain passage at of a resOlutiOn resolution tion indorsing the president general general gen gen- eral Etal submarine s st stand nd Democrat leaders lead lead- leaders ers it was sal sai said realized the they might not b bet be able to obtain as many Republican ti votes on a partisan je resolution as PI PIa a straight vote on the question of ot supporting supporting sup sup- p porting Wilson in to his armed merchantmen merchant merchant- then men n st stand nd The They did not desire to show any weakness of support behind the executive The determination to take a vote on the Jones and nd Gore resolutions Monda Monday Monday Mon Mon- da day was wa I Abandoned b To prevent event pos pos- Os- Os sil Ie action the senate recessed instead Administration leaders renewed their advice to other members to min discussion of the situation Chairman an Stone nevertheless termed the senates senate's st state te of mind as ks tan R Resolutions Taboo In n t the le house leaders declared d both resolutions ind discussion and discussion would b be taboo and Representatives Flood and Glass friendly to the president who had prepared d respectively a compro- compro ms and an Indorsing resolution dr then them Leader Kitchin w was s in inac ac accord ord with all aU the these e plans Whether conservative steps were taken because the reply was unfriendly and the administration administration ad ad- ministration believes further unity is essential or whether it is friendly andall Andall and all fa factions have agreed the crisis Is past not a half dozen outside those di din in charge knew When he learned of the change in pr program gram Senator Gore prepa prepared ed a ast ast st statement asserting the main object of af hi resolution had warning warning had been accomplished accomplished ac ac- by the discussion already obtained obtained- Representative Glass countered countered countered coun coun- with a statement that harm had been done by congressional congressional discussion because Germany had be become ome convinced d this country would not back its president No resolution seeking to discredit th the presidents president's management of foreign relations will get a majority of votes ii in inthe th the house Glass said I would hate to believe belleve that congress is In favor of any such detestable capitulation in involving involving in- in abject relinquishment of ot cherIshed cherished cher cher- national rights and a brutal re reproach re- re pr acl to the president If that is really real- real 1 l ly the h issue It should not b be postponed another day Infinite harm is said to have hare ensued from the Teutonic misconceptIon mis- mis conceptIon of this nations nation's attitude It is not Inot difficult to perceive that even gr graver ver consequences might result from th the supposition that congress congress' has a gripping anxiety to to repudiate dent deit Wilson Nc No Reflection Intended Represent Representative tive McLemore of Texas Texa author of a warning resolution tonight declared e lared h he did cUd not intend t to reflect upon the pr president But ut as he called on congress to re reverse re- re verse Itself on on the Panama tolls ques- ques said McLemore that he might better bener work ork out his foreign policy I felt fell that adoption of my resolution serve him a good and useful purpose McLemore said 11 ho had r received many warlike letters Jetters from political aspirants aspirants ants and college ge prote professors professors' sors advocating immediate action against Germany When cattle of this kind shout and scream scream War Mar it is time for true Ameri Amer cans cans s to to give s serious and and calm c m cO consider consideration 1 ider- ider aUtin to what madmen say said Mc Mc- Lemora Lemord Stone Lett Letter r to Europe A Another od r important dev development was the dispatching by cable to Ambassador Gerard of the presidents president's lett letter to Senator Senator Senator Sena Sena- tor Stone announcing the latter's Jatter's d de determination determination de- de termination to oppose an any act that might tend to abridge ld the r rights s of American Ameri l rid is can citizens on the high s seas The J letter way was sent to all allay y what seemed to tobe tobe tobe be a growing belief bellet throughout the Central central cen central empires that this country was In Inclined Inclined In- In dined to regard the Mar March h 1 submarine decrees of the Teutonic powers not nat only as reasonable to a degree but but- butas as jus justifiable JUS- JUS Despite the Seeming certainty that the tho United I States tates will hold to Its attitude attitude atti attl- tude of ot being Irrevocably h opposed to any act by any b belligerent erent th that t does docs not adhere strictly to the letter of International International International law stat state d department officials to tonight tonight to to- night Indicated a possible avenue of ot compromise that might eliminate chances of ft II di diplomatic collision on th the point of ot armed merchantmen The possibility which rested on the entrance of ot the appendixes to the German German Ger Ger- man man- decree In which Germany explains h net het t attitude that armed merchantmen are arc to be considered warships and therefore h ew not n immune from r terE torpedoing rE d l g without I warning r rn It was stated te on high Te Teutonic authority today that that- these that these appendixes appendixes ap ap- sent by mall mail I c contain what ts tso purport g to o be i copies fes of the he hec secret ad admiralty admiralty admi admi- ralty rattY Issued to commanders of British ships of commerce Secret t Orders German and Austrian officials claim these orders are Instructions to merchantmen merchantmen merchantmen mer mer- to attack and destroy all enemy enemy enemy ene ene- my submarines It Is on this alleged se secret ret order It is declared that the central central cen- cen ral pow powers rs based their March 1 decree rather than on the claim that any guns carried darned by armed merchantmen make the admitted right of ot visit and search by submarines dangerous and in In Inmost most Cases eases Impossible Germanys Germany's contention as clearly de defined defined defined de- de fined by Germ German n officials both in Berlin Berlin Ber Ber- lin and here het w was s that tha th the alleged secret admiralty Ord orders rs are illegal and a departure departure departure de de- de- de from established established and accepted a c rUles rUlea of ot international law It Was pointed point point- ed out t in official circles I today that a naturally naturally nat nat- ag th t og i the tha burden Of proof o of this h hh charge h rests tests on the German Getman government Officials refused to speculate on this point but it was explained ned by a prominent prominent prominent nent Int international tn Ja lay lawyer er r that an In inal l copy of one of these se secret orders rs would be sufficient nt proof There must be be e no doubt however this ls lawyer stated stated stated stat stat- ed Of the v validity ll lt of f the We order In tn this connection it Is remembered that German German Ger Gen man officials here claim they took a copy of ot one of these ee alleged ord orders rs on the captured British ship Appam now at Norfolk 1 Following this line officials said tonight to- to nIght th the United d States if it Germanys Germany's evidence that is 8 Germanys Germany's unassailable J leM Marc March might h hf 1 f frankly degree l lIs Is justifiable as an act Of reprisal af against an n JU illegal g l a act t by by h her r enemy enemy- even even It if it is in itself not legal Point In Question Arguing on this point a high official tonight told the United Press If one belligerent commits an illegal act certainly the other belligerent against rl whom that act td is directed shoU should i rr J f not have US its h hand tied I This official has been in a position to know knew President Wilsons Wilson mind I throughout the submarine controversies i with Germany He lIe plainly l indicated h he Would not be surprised if it production of ot this is unassailable proof by Germany regarding the alleged secret admiralty orders results in action by this government gov gov- nt which would tend to keep American n citizens enl out out Of dangerous places Wh When fi the qU question of discussing the thelin theline I lin lIrt line Of 6 b between defensive I and offensive armament and a possible change in the size of guns W was Wad put up i to Secretary Lansing today he plainly I I indicated ted th that t such questions at this time ar are Irrelevant nt The department believes these only can cali be discussed I wh when n they are not bound u up In moot Issues as all these very questions ar are now bound up In the whole controversy over I submarine W warfare It was emphasized that Until the case and all the Issues which now note r revolve rolv about bout it are ate acceptable cleared leared up there can can be no discussion formally or ot Inform informally any of af the single point regarding armament on merchantmen Following a conference with Secre Segre- Secretary e re- re tary of ot State Lansing today it was learned that Chairman Flood had proposed proposed proposed pro pro- posed a compromise resolution This This' would declare t Am Americans have the le legal legal le- le egal e- e gal right to travel lob oh armed ships but would call attention to the danger of ot such action without ut sp specifically warnIng warning warning warn warn- ing them to stay off oft or absolving this government from liability t to td protect them theta No action upon such a compromise compromise com com- promise plan was agreed upon |
