The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1916-02-25
PEACE WANTED
BUT NOT WITH
LOSSOF HONOR
President Wilson so De-
clares In Letter to SEN
ator Stone.
NO ABRIDGMENT OF
AMERICAN RIGHTS
Refuses to Consent to Prop
osition Warning Aneri-
cans Off Ships.
NO ABRIDGMENT OF
AMERICAN RIGHTS
q AssocrArEn pREss-


Washington, Feb. 24.-President
Wilson, at the end of two days of
agitation in congress for action warn
ing Americans off armed ships wrote
letter to Senator Stone, chairman
Of the foreign relations committee,
declaring he will not consent to an
infringement of the rights of Ameri-
cans in any respect. "The honor and
self-respect of the nation are in
volved," he said. 1--WE covet peace
and shall preserve it at any cost but
the loss of honor"
The president asserted that the
United States has no reason to ques-
ton the good faith of Gernany's
promises in the past and expressed
the hope that the forthcoming ex-
PLANTATION of the declared intention
of the central powers to sink armed
merchantmen would put a different
aspect on the situation, which seemed
almost insuperable.
He declared he is anxious to keep
the country out of war, had striven
for that for months and thus far had
succeeded. II do not doubt that I
shall continue to succeed" he said. At
any event, the president said, the
duty of the government is clear. He
held that no nation had the right,
while the war is progressing, to dis
regard the principles of all nations
had agreed upon to mitigate the hor-
ror of war. To do so, he said, would
be humiliation and acquiescence to
the rights Of mankind
The letter was written in answer to
one sent the president by Stone out
lining the situation in congress, where
a demand is being made to lessen the
tension between the United States
and Germany, and asking Wilson to
state the governments position.
GORE is BLOCKED.
The first attempt to introduce leg
islation warning Americans off bel
hgerent ships made in congress today
by Senator Gore, a Democrat, was
summarily blocked by Senator Bran
degee, a Republican, and under the
rules of the senate, cannot be re-
sumed until tomorrow.
Senator Gore sought to introduce
his bill to prohibit passage of
Americans on such ships, and also to
introduce a. concurrent resolution
which would not require the approval
of the president.
Senator Gore issued a statement
declaring at seems to me the ship
of state is drifting or driving head
long upon the breakers. do not say
deliberately, but / fear, directly upon
the breakers"
Senator Cores statement contends
there is fundamental difference be-
tween an armed and an unarmed ship.
~ doubt if Germany will consent
to vouchsafe immunity to armed mer-
chant vessels" he said. II do not
believe that public opinion in the
United States would justify. war
with Germany on account of her re-
fusal to grant safe conduct to such
ships"
The statement declares guns
aboard merchant ships are a survival
of the times when pirates and priva-
teers roamed the seas and that at
time when travel upon such ships
jeopardizes the nations peace there
is no real sacrifice of national honor
and dignity by warning Americans
to avoid such ships.
''The progress of civilization" says
the statement, "has consisted largely
( in withdrawing from the Individual
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