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Show i WHAT HE I ii DID SHI I M 'President Wilson Ex- I i plains Statements as I e to Possibility of War. I " H f Washington, March 2. President fl . TVilson, at conferences with congress H t leaders tdday, is understood to have H 1 said that, following out the notes of H t the United States government, dlplo- H raatlc relations might be broken off H with a nation causing the death of an H . American in disregard of lnternation- H i al law, and that he had been informed H t breaking off of diplomatic relations M ; might precipitate war. H While no official statement was M given out, an authoritative account H l- was obtained of what had. happened at the various conferences between :H a the president and the members of-the' H a senate and house. H The president declared, It was said, H 1 that to warn Americans to keep off H 3 armed ships of belligerent nations ,iH i would be in effect acknowledging jus- tH 3 tification for attacks on such ships. H ' He contended that unless he was H supported by congress and the nation, H - he might find it impossible so to H steer the policies of the government H 1 that the United States would not be- H scome involved with other nations. H ' In reply to questions at one of the H conferences, the President Is under- ,H stood to have said that, following out ,H the notes of the United States govern- H L ment, diplomatic relations might be H 1 broken off with a nation which caus- H ' ed the death of American citizens in disregard of international law and the 'H ; stand of the United States. ''M The president added, it was said. H , that he had been informed from cer- H , tain sources that the breaking off of IH diplomatic relations might precipitate H 1 war. He said that he could not cer- : 1 talnly predict what might follow, but IH that, despite' his earnest efforts to H keep the United States out of war, H he must uphold the rights of Amer- H ican citizens to the freedom of the 'H H The president was said to have H been asked at one of the conferences H what thb effect the entrance of the H United States into the war would 'H have. He is understood to have re- jH plied that it might shorten it H It was denied in well informed 'H quarters that the President had any IH intention of convesing the impression H that he desired the United States H to enter the war In order to shorten H it, or for any other reason. H On the contrary, ho is said to have H urged in the most vigorous possible H manner his desire and hope that the JH United States might keep out of the is Tar from desiring war or threaten- ?H ing It, it was said, the president has rH pointed out to congressional leaders 'H that war would be more likely to liH come If the United States did not fol- : low the established, rules of interna- IH tional law, and should begin attempt- H Ing to change Its rules as a result of 'IH varvlng conditions which have arisen H since the outbreak of the world war, H |