Evening journal., 1916-12-21
Secretary Lansing Says Situation Of This
Country as Neutral While Europe Is at
War Is Rapidly Becoming IntOerabIe.
President, Therefore, Demands Show Down.
NATIONS RIGHTS ARE INVADED;
CRISIS SEEMS ABOUT TO BREAK
BY ROBERT J. BENDER
unIted preas SAD corroapondenl

United Press stan correspondent
WASHINGTON. Dec. 81. - Plainly
limiting that there Is danger OF the
United States being drawn into the war,
Secretary Of State Lansing today said
th was the real reason behind Presi-
dent Wilson's message to the belliger-
ents. The situation of the United
states. as a neutral. Is rapidly becom-
ing intolerable. Therefore the Presi-
deut has demanded a showdown.
Our rights have been invaded and
the situation Is becoming so intoler-
able that II cannot go on long" Mr..
lansing said.
More and more our rights are in
vaded by the belligerenis on both sides
60 that the situation IL becoming in
creasingly critical. mean by that We
are growing nearer to tho vyrgo Of war
and therefore arc entitled TO know what
each belligerent seeks in order that we
can regulate our conduct In the future.
ut was not our material interests
| that were considered when we said that
the situation might become intolersblo.
We have prospered by the war. but o'u
rights have been invaded"
Lansing emphasized positively that
the German peace proposal and the
Lloyd George speech had nothing 10 do
with the despatch Of the Wilson note
except possibly 10 delay sending II.
On this point he authorized quotation
MS follows:
mo nation has been sounded ON this
matter and we did not know in advance
what Lloyd George would say. And
there was no consideration OF German
overtures or the speech Of Lloyd Georg'
In connection with formation Of thi'
note
"The only thing that the German
overtures did was possibly to della,
the note a few days. II was not final
" decided % send this until Monday
The note was sent Monday nigh; and
Tuesday mOrning)
"The difficulty that faced the Fresi
lent was that the note might be con
strued as a movement for peace and in
aid Of the German overtures He spe
'iflcally denies that that was q factor
n the communication itself"
Previous to authorizing the above
quoted statement Lansing had talked
more freely than usual and In the
same tenor.
Il had been suggested to him that
the United States really was in no
position to stop the war unless the
belligerenis themselves desired to end
&C.: to this he hinted that If the United
States were TO enter the war Il would
turn the scale definitely and he EN-
phasized that there was a feeling OF
dancer that the country would be
drs wn In.
Believes All Neutrals VIII Act.
In making his first formal efforts 10
get a statement of peace terms from
belligerents, President Wilson acted
with knowledge that the other world
neutrals stand behind him in his at
tempt.
He has the greatest confidence that
his efforts win succeed. Official and
! diplomatic Washington today. scarce
: ~ recovered from the startling de-
q velopment Of his sending a peace note
p TO all countries, awaiting with anx-
a iety the irst response from belliger-
o ent nations 10 the Presidents sug-
e gestion for peace definitions.
3 The Presidents action came out OF
e a clear sky. He explained this coun