The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1916-03-02
YIELD NO RIGHTS
NoNoR rs At STAKE, PREoiOGMY
WILSON WRITES TO SEN.
AToR STONE.
Hold Germany 70 Promises tes
Safety OF Americans on
the high Seas.
Western New srao-r Union News SER, ice

stone explicitly declared that he will
not consent to barring OF american
citizens from armed passenger ships
as proposed by resolutions before
Congress and that il any nation de-
nies the right OF Americans TO safety
on board such vessels the United
States has in honor Io choice" as to
what its course should be.
The course which the central pow
ers are pursuing in their order 10
sink without warning aitc. March l
all armed ships seems for the mo-
ment 10 threaten "insuperable Obsta-
cles, the President wrote, but added
that. because OF previous assurances,
he must believe explanations putting
different aspect on the situation
soon will be made.
White House, Feb. u. l9lG.-My
Dear Senator: very warmly appre-
ciate your kind and frank letter OF
to-day and feel that it calls for an
equally frank reply. You are right in
assuming that shall do everything In
my power to keep the United States
out of war. think the country will
feel NJ unea siness about my course In
that respect. Through many anxious
months ! have striven tor that object
amidst difficulties more manifold than
can have been apparent upon the sur
face, and SO far l have succeeded. |
do not doubt that shall continue TO
succeed.
The course which the central Eu-
ropean powers have announced their
intention OF following in the future
with regard to under-sea warfare
seems for the moment to threaten in.
superable obstacles, but its apparent
meaning is SO manifestly inconsistent
with explicit assurances recently Civ
en- us by those powers with regard to
their treatment of merchant vessels
on the hign seas that ! must believe
that explanations will presently en-.
sue which will put different aspect
upon 1t. We have had no reason to
question their good faith or their H.
deity to their promises in the past,
and |, for one, feel confident that we
shall have none in the future.
But in 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 il the clear rights of
American citizens should ever un.
happily be abridged or denied by any
, such action. we should, it seems to
me, have in honor no choice as to
what our own course should be. For
my own part, | cannot consent to any
abridgement of the rights of Ameri-
can citizens in any respect. The hon
or and self-respect of the nation is
involved. We covet peace and shall
preserve it at any cost, but the loss
of honor. To forbid our people to
exercise their rights for fear we
might be called upon to vindcate
them would be a deep humiliation in
deed.
1T would be an implicit, all but an
explicit, acquiescence in the violation
of the rights of mankind everywhere
and OF whatever nation or allegiance.
II would be deliberate abdication of
our hitherto proud position as spokcs.
men even amid the turmoil of war fnr
the law and the right. II would make
everything this government has at
tempted and everything that it has
achieved during this terrible struggle
OF nations meaningless and futile
1T is important to reflect that if in
this instance we allowed eypediellct
to take the place of principle, The
door would inevitably be opened TO
still further concessions Once accept
a single abatement of right and many
other Eumiliations would certainly fol
low and the whole fine fabric of inter
national law might crumble under our
hands. piece by piece What VIC are
contcnding for in this matter is OF
the very essence OF the things lnat
have made America a sovereign ia
ton. She cannot yield them without
conceding her own impotcncy as q
nation and making virtual surrender
of her independent position amorg the
nations of tho world
Il am speaking. my dear senator. in
deep solcrriLy without heat. @itn a
clear cons6 iousnCss OF the high re-
sponsibi,ities OF my office. and as
your sincere and devoted friend. !.
we should unhaprily differ. we sii.il
differ as friends. but where issues 30
mo:nCntous as these are involved y
must just because we are fric? :;
speak our minds without reservation.
Faithfully yours,
''WOODROW WILSON
The Presidents letter was in al
swer to one written late Thursday aft
crnoon by Senator Stone outlining the
situation existing at The captc!.
where for two days. persistent d.
mands had been made for some action
which might lessen the possibility OF
war between the United States anG
Germany.
War Tale Sends Wheat Down.
lNhica A rumnr which WaS ila-