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Show President Seeks the Aid of Republicans. WASHINGTON, D. C, Nov. 20. President Wilson today asked Senntor Gnllinger nnd Representative Mann, republican lenders of tho senate and house, respectively, to confer with him before tho the opening of congress on legislation for national defense. Tho time for the conference will be nrrnnged to suit tho two leaders. The president sent the Invitations In accordance with his announced an-nounced plan of making tho fight for military preparedness nlong non-pnrtisan lines. Just before the opening of congress the president presi-dent will confer with republican members of the senate and house military and naval committees. While It was being made known at the White House that the republican lenders hnd been invited to a conference, Representative Representa-tive Mann, who was nt tho state department asking for protection of American planters who have been driven out of Mexico, mude a statement of the president's proposal. "Tho president mny give orders to the democrats in congress," ho said, "but ho certainly cannot call mo to the White House to glvo orders. I am perfectly willing to consult with him, but not to go up there to be told wlint ho hns decided upon. Everybody is for preparedness, of course, but I am not willing to say what attitude atti-tude tho republicans in tho house will tnko toward the administration's administra-tion's defense program until I know just what It Is from the documents, docu-ments, not from the newspapers." Mann said he hnd heard that tho president had written a letter to him, but that ho would not dlscusse it until after he had seen It, |