Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-05-13

sion that in them had been accumulating
10 eacn OF tnese gentlemen the President
is said to have made the same reply,
which was to the effect that, while he
had no difficulty in understanding their
point of view, his decision was unalter-
able. and for 1t he was prepared to ac-
cept the sole responsibility.
To the rage of the people against Ger
many was added a panic of 'nysterical
proportions when the designations OF
Secretaries Ashby and Linton confirmed
beyond the peradventure of a doubt that
the President was refusing to permit a
finger to be lifted by way of preparing
for defense of the country against the
armada and legions that Germany then
was assembling. If some of the Presi-
dents Tarmest supporters were aghast,
1t is no wonder that from other people,
in Congress and out, came a fury of
denunciation that was appalling. We
doubled the guard of police and secret
service men and practically made the
President a prisoner in the White House;
but even then | did not feel SAFE since
1t did not seem extravagant to believe
that among the police and secret service
men themselves We're many who would
take pleasure In assassinating the Pres-
dent
In the House of Representatives. MEM
oers of the majority as we'll as the
minority party made haste TO prepare
resolutions looking to the Presidents
impeachment. Perhaps 1t was only nat
ural that the men whom the President
had worsted in battles over legislation
should see in this crisis only a chance
for personal revenge. Not more than
two or three of the Presidents friends
had the courage to say a word on his
behalf, and the best the cooler heads
could do was to set forth the precedent
esta blished in the case OF Andrew John
son and arrange for the passage of the
resolution authorizing the judiciary Com
mittee ito inquire into the official con-
duct of David Israels, President of the
United States" and report whether he
was guilty of acts designed TO overthrow
or subvert the Government of the United
States"
Representatives and Senators visited the
White House In a virtually continuous
stream, and along with them came the
politicians and other men who hastened
10 Washington from all over the country.
All that many of these men wanted TO
know was what In blazes tho President
was trying to do to the party OF course
the Senators and Representatives were,
apart from other considerations. con-
cerned by the fact that, in refusing TO
make the army and navy ready for ac-
blocking a declaration OF war by Con-
yress, should, in the judgment OF Con-
gress, such a declaration be necessary.
With all those Senator's and Repre-
who sincerely desired to under
stand his position, the President patiently
vent over his negotiations with Berlin in
their entirety. He showed that from the
beginning he never had permitted himself
10 betray the least doubt that the German
would do all that could be
expected of honorable gentlemen and
tatesmen. He had officially
attributed the killing OF the American
sailors to an unfortunate misunderstand-
ng and to possible excess OF that ad-
nirable patriotic zeal for which the Faith
erland's officers were noted, and he had
full confidence that Germany
would make every reparation that could
be expected OF a nation that, in many re-
spects, had set up standards OF civiliZa-
lion for all the world TO follow.
The President, in fact, was able to show
4 copy of a very recent dispatch In which
ne had made plain that the Washington
Government had such complete confidence
n the magnanimlty OF the Berlin Govern
nent--a magnanimity that must be born
II the German nations consciousness Of
the strength of its arms-that Washington
would leave 1t TO Berlin itself to suggest
what form this reparation should take.
AS for Germanys war preparations, the
President showed that he had taken no
,ffical notice OF them, even while he had
instructed our Ambassador in Berlin to
AXE advantage OF every unofficial oppor-
unity TO make II understood that Wash
ngton considered Il the height OF abb
iurdity to prepare for war that was
lot going TO take place. And. OF course,
he German Ambassador In Washington
lad been made to understand the same
hing. ltt
After giving this outline OF his own
,ourse. the President pointed out that in
N the communications he had received
from Berlin there was not a single state
nent which made II unreasonable TO be-
lsve that the German Government would
rake ample reparation for the killing OF
,ur sailors and at least consent TO refer
he whole dispute over territory to The
Hague
What the President considered evident
gas that the non-committal nature OF
most OF these communications could be |
attributed 70 the failure OF the American |
leople 70 support him. There, Ia fact.
vas the nub OF the whole matter. II the
senators ana Representatives would held