The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-03-01
Chief Executive, In Letter to Representative Pou, Says That Action In Congress Will CIarify U. S. Position on Matter.
Capital Is Startled by Sudden Determination of President to Force Issue That Europe May See Nation Is United.

washington, March With an ab- ,Suptneas like nothing that any one here can recall, President Wilson yes terday threw down his challenge to ConEress on the whole question Of A1nerbcan foreign affairs. After al- most a week spent by his friends in preventing congressional action that might eInbarrass his European poll cies, the President practically de manded that Congress come to vote regarding his policies
 The President is confident that a vote would result in the rejection Of all the resolutions aimed against his foreign course, and he insists that this vote be taken speedily to show to the world that when he speaks. across the frontier he speaks for the whole Amer ican nation.
 This demand, in the form of a. per s0na1 request, the President made in a letter to Representative Edward A. PO1l of North Carolina acting chair man of the Committee on Rules. Less than a week ago the House Committee on Foreign Affairs was ready to re- port the McL.ernore resolution urging Americans from armed beIligerent ships, and was considering asking the Gommittee on Rules to DToy1de 8 pro- { cedure by which the resolution might be rushed through the House.
 The President went straight to the same committee seeking a. procedure by which the same resolution and oth- CTS like it might be brought to a vote. But he wants them voted on so they can be definitely killed. He has no doubt that now that the country has had time to express itself, the House will not do anything to weaken his hand in dealing with foreign nations
 Believes Reports Are False. The President put his request on the broadest grounds Of public policy. The report, he said, that t'there are divided counsels in Congress in regard to the foreign policy Of the government is being made industrious use of in for eigh capitals. ]" The President declares hAs belief that the report is false, but adds that ''as long as it is anywhere credited it cannot fail to do the great est harm and expose the country to the most serious risks" Although the letter is addressed to the House, the President cOntemplates action favor able to his course at both ends of the Capitol, and he wants this action so that '.aH doubts and conjectures may eb swept away and our foreign rela- tiOns once more cleared of damaging misunderstandfngs
 The Presidents strength in Con- gress has been extraordinarily 1ncreas- ed in the last week. At the beginning of that period wave of hysteria broke over the House, a crisis was re- garded as being at hand unless the President were forced to softer deal ings with Germany. and action hostile to him seemed imminent. The most that the Presidents personal friends, many of whom thought his foreign policy was too strong. hoped for was the postponement of all action and tie sEnothering of all discussion of foreigH affairs for the time being. The President now wants nothing less than etest of his strength, so, with that weighed and approved by Congress, he may devote his energies to the problems overseas that yet remain un- settled.
 Viewed as RaIIying Cry.
 From political point of view, the Presidents major argument in his let terffs regarded as a master stroke. His sctatenent that reports of a divided Congress are being made industrious use of in foreign capitals is regard ed as a ral1ytng cry for American pub lie men.
 His letter last week to Senator Stone ! in which he laid down the general principle that he could not consent to the abridgement of any right of any American citizen, showed the immov- able resistance against Congressional fnterference that he intended-to main tafns The letter to MT. Pou goes much further. He takes the war to Capitol Hill, and asks that the issue be settled for all time between a policy of sur render of rights and the policy he has marked out for himself of maintain ing those rights at every cost
 The President disregarded all known precedents of communication between the Executive and Congress. He did not send a message to Congress. He did not communicate with committee on foreign affairs immediately in IL last week showed a wide divergence from his views. He went straight to the committee that in emergencies is expected to provide a special rule for prompt action One of the first pur- poses of the Presidents letter is to show his faith that Congress will stand behind him, and that purpose appeared to be accomplished by the mere announcement of his request to Congress.
 Leaders Agree on Action.
 Speaker Clark, Majority Leader Kftchin, Representative Flood, and Representative Foster of Illinois, con- ferred at the Capitol last night and agreed to urge that the rules commit tee would take no step pending action by the foreign affairs committee, and that the foreign affairS committee should bee a11ed together at once to report a substitute resolution, prob ably an affirmative expression of con hdence in the President. The rules committee then would be in a position to report out a rule for immediate consideration of the matter.
 The Presidents letter to MT. Pou came as a complete surprise to Con gress. As far as can be learned. none of the leaders either in the Senate or the House had been consulted. Some House leaders made no secret of their 1% F17osT 4se1 course.
 The President. however.5fs believed simply to have realized what is a fact e-that any immediate action on the