The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1916-03-03
ADMINISTRATIONS ARMED SHIP
POLICY is MADE CLEAR IN
EPIsTLE ADDRESSED TO
SENATOR STONE.
HONOR AND SELF-RESPECT
OF NATION ARE INVOLVED
President Declares He Cannot Consent
to Any Abridgment of Rights OF
Citizens of United States in
any Respect-Says Amer
lea Cannot Yield.

Washington, Feb. 26-President Viii,
sons determination to uphold the
rights of Americans to travel on bel
ligerent ships is made clear in let
ter addressed to Senator Stone, chair
man of the Senate Committee on for
eign relations.
President Wilson's Letter
The Presidents letter to Senator
Stone follows:
MY Dear SENATOR very warmly
appreciate -FOUR kind and frank letter
of today and feel that it calls for an
equally frank reply.
You are right in assuming that l
shall do everything in my power to
keep the United States out of war.
think the country will feel no uneasi-
ness about my course in that respect.
Through many anxious months L
have striven for that object, amidst
difficulties more manifold than can
have been apparent upon the surface
and so far | have succeeded. | do not
doubt that I shall continue to succeed.
The course which the Central Euro
pean powers have announced their in
tention of following in the future
with regard to undersea warfare seems
for the moment to threaten insuper-
able obstacles, but its apparent mean
ing is so manifestly inconsistent with
explicit assurances recently given us
by those powers with regard to their
treatment of merchant vessels on the
high seas that must believe that ex
plantations will presently ensue which
will put different aspect upon it. We
have had no reason to question their
good faith or their fidelity to their
promises in the past and | for one feel
confident we shall have none in the
future.
sour Duty is Clear"
"But i'm any event our duty is clear.
No nation or group of nations has the
right, while the war is in progress, to
alter or disregard the principles which
all nations have agreed upon in miti-
cation Of the horrors and sufferings
OF war and If the clear rights of Amer
lean citizens should ever unhappily be
abridged or denied by any sue. ac-
ton, we should, it seems to me, to |
have in honor, no choice as to what |
our own course should be.
For my own part, | can not con- |
sent to any abridgement of the rights |
of American citizens in any respect |
The honor and self-respect of the ma
ton is involved. We covet peace, and
shall preserve 1t at any cost, but the
loss of honor.
ITO forbid our people to exercise
their rights for fear we might be
called upon to yindicate them would
be deep humiliation indeed. 1t would
be an implicit, all but explicit, acquies-
cence in the violation of the rights of
mankind everywhere and of whatever
nation or allegiance.
Would Make Efforts Futile.
at would be a deliberate abdica-
ton Of our hitherto proud position as
spokesman even amidst the turmoil of
war for the law and the right. It
would make everything this govern
ment has attempted and everything
that it has achieved during this terri
BILE struggle of nations meaningless
and futile.
1T is important to reflect that II
in this instance we allowed expedi-
ence to take the place of principle,
the door would inevitably be opened
to still further concessions. Once &C.
cept single abatement of right and
many other humiliations would GER
tainly follow and the whole fine fabric
of international law might crumble
under our hands, piece by piece.
America Cannot Yield.
What we are contending for in this
matter is of the very essence Of the
things that have made America a
sovereign nation. She can not yield
them without conceding her own impo-
tency as nation and making virtual
surrender Of her independent position
among the nations of the world.
Faithfully yours,
WOODROW WILSON"