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Show THREE COURSES LEFT OPEN I TO CONGRESS IN HEALING I WITH THE WAR CRISIS I Resolution Endorsing Armed Neutrality and fl Authorizing Further Preparedness That State B of War Exists, or Direct Declaration of B War Being Considered. B m WASHINGTON. March 27. Presi ' dent Wilson was represented today as still having an open mind on exactly what steps he will recommend to con- gress when it meets in special se Ion next week, although the preponderance ; of official opinion is that he should I ask for a declaration that a state of ! war exists between the United States I and Germany. Prior to a cabinet meeting at which details of preparedness measures were discussed, Senator Hitchcock, member of the senate foreign relations commit-I commit-I tee, discussed the situation with the I president.. Afterward he outlined the following three courses which he believed be-lieved open to congress: j "Passage of a resolution indorsing I steps already taken b the president to I place the United States in a state of armed neutrality and authorizing further fur-ther preparedness uioes. "Adoption of a resolution declaring i that ft state of war exists between the United States and Germany; and adop- Hon of a declaration of war against i Germany. Senator Hitchcock said there was undoubtedly sentiment in the west for taking the first of the three instead of declaring war or declaring that a stale of war exists. Advisers Examining Precedents. Other advisers of the president, taking tak-ing the view that the best, step to take is a declaration that a state of war exists, are examining precedents in order to map out the best course to pursue. The general expectation is that In the end the resolution adopted I when the United States went to war i with Mexico will be followed closely in ! the present situation. That resolution resolu-tion recited repeated acts of aggression aggres-sion on the part of Mexico against the United States. The president is not expected to put his message to congress into final shape until just before delivering it. In the meantime he will confer with congressional leaders. ; senator Hitchcock made it clear that he went to the White House on his own initiative and said that he knew nothing yet of the plans of Chairman Stone of the foreign relations committee commit-tee for action in advance of the meeting meet-ing of congress. on |