Fergus County Democrat. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1904-1919, 1916-03-02
PRESIDENT INSISTS
UPON AREC0RD VOTE.
lells Congress That No Compromise Proposition,
such as Vote of Confidence in His Foreign
Policy, Will be Acceptable to Him.
CONGRESS WILL MEET TODAY FACING CLEARCuT issue

WASHINGTON, March 1.-Presi-
dent Wilson served notices on con-
gress tonight that he will consent to
nothing less than a record vote on
the antiadministration resolutions to
warn Americans off the armed ships
OF European belligerents before he
goes on with the submarine negotia-
tions.
No compromise proposition such as
a vote OF confidence In the presidents S
foreign policy, will be acceptable Such
an action, it is held, might be con-
strued in Berlin as justifying the opin.
ion that the president lacks the sup
port OF congress and his own party
in his demands for full observance
Of international law while it's only
purpose would be to afford members
OF congress way to avoid recording
their positions before the country on
the straight out-and-out question.
President Wilson made his position
clear to congressional leaders tonight
IN unequivocal terms as the climax
to day Of confusion. uncertainty and
political maneuvering, which marked
the opening Of his first real fight with
congress.
AS if to emphasize that the presi-
dent absolutely refuses to continue the
negotiations with Germany, until the
attitude OF congress has been settled,
Ii was made known that the United
States does not consider the latest
assurances from Count Won Bernstorff,
the German ambassador, as broad or
as satisfactory Of those originally Civ
en-. No further step will be taken,
however, while the president waits on
congress. Meanwhile the pending
Lusitana agreement will not be final
ly accepted.
The whole situation in congress. con
fused by the presidents call yester-
day for a vote, was thrown into a
snarl today when at an early morning
conference the president outlined his
position to Senators Stone and Kern,
and Representative Flood. chairman
. of the foreign affairs committee of
the house. Speaker Clark, House Lead
er kitchin and Acting Chairman Pou
OF the house rules committee.
AS soon as the delegation returned
to the capitol with news of what the
president had said, it was apparent
that some of the leaders who had Sc
cretly supported the anti-administra-
ton forces and under administration
pressure. had pocketed resolutions in
committee when there was danger of
their being adopted, REALIZED that the
president and his friends had sudden.
,y gained the whip hand. 1t was plain
that they once devoted their efforts
re tn OuniA lnfnnt ut bo
hands Of the administration forces by
side-tracking the main issue and max
ing the fight turn to vote on reso-
luton of confidence for the president
in which they could join without com
promising their position in support Of
warning Americans to avoid belliger-
ent armed ships.
Practically in control of the machin-
cry of the house. these leaders held
the situation in deadlock all day while
they conferred and sought for some
proposals which would satisfy the
president and still save their positions
Friends of the president, watching
the maneuvering closely, saw the OBJ
ject, and tonight from the White
House came word that there would
be no compromise. Congress will
meet tomorrow facing a clearcut issue
with the president.
The presidents friends openly
charge that resistance to his program
is purely political. They make it un-
mistakably clear that he does not in,
tend to let the question be passed over
by compromise and risk being, EN-.
barrassed later in his negotiations
with Germany by having the agita-
tion come up again to weaken his
hand. They say he intends to have
the question removed once and for all
from the field of possibilities and
point out that the extent of the oppo.
sition which the president faces may
be Judged from the fact that the
chairmen of the foreign affairs com,
mittees in both branches of congress
and even Speaker Clark, were, to say
the least, lukewarm in their support
of him.
The administration whips in their
canvass have satisfied themselves that
a majority of the rank and file of the
democrats and many of the republi.