The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-02-11
of Representatives which I-should in no

of Representatives which I should in no
 circumstances feel at liberty to assume.
 It would never be proper or possible for
 me to say to any committee of the | House of Representatives that so far as
 my participation in legislation was con
 cerned they would have to take my plan
 or none.
 1 'I do not share your opinion that the l members of the House who are charged 1, with the duty of dealing with military affairs are ignorant of them or of the l military necessities of the nation. On the contrary, I Nave found them well informed and actuated by a most intel ligent appreciation of the grave responsi- bilities imposed upon them. I am sure that MT. Hay and his colleagues are ready to act with a full sense of all both for the country and for the national parties which they represent DUTY IS PLAIN "My own duty toward them is per fectly plain. I must welcome a frank interchange of views and patient and thorough comparison of all the methods proposed for obtaining the objects We all have in view. So far as my own participation in final legislative action is concerned, no one will expect me to acquiesce in any proposal that I re- gard as inadequate or illusory. If, as the outcome of a free interchange of views my own judgment and that of the committee should prove to be ir- reconcilably different and a bill should be presented to me which I could not accept as accomplishing the essential things sought, it would manifestly be my duty to veto 1t and go to the coun- 1 try on the merits. But there is no reason to anticipate or fear such a re- suit, unless we should ourselves take at the outset the position that only | the plans of the department are to be l considered; and that position, 1t seems to me, would be wholly unjustifiable. l The committee and the Congress will | expect me to be as frank With them as I hope they will be with me, and will, of course, hold me Justified in 1 fighting for my own matured opinion q have had delightfully frank conference with MT. Hay I have said | to him that I was perfectly willing to 1 consider any plan that would give us I a national reserve under unmistakable l national control and would support any such scheme if covinced of it's ade- quacy and wise policy. More he has not asked or desired. Cordially and sin cerely yours,
 "WOODROW WILSON" PHILIPPINE QUESTION 1 Secretary Garrison's next letter fol- lows:
 February 9, 1916. "My Dear Mr. President;
 1.-TWO matters within the Jurisdiction | of this department are now Of 1mme- diate and pressing importance. and l am constrained to declare my position definitely and unmistakably thereon. refer, of course, to the Philippine ques- I tion and the matter of national de- fense. You know my convictions with respect to each of them.
 1 T consider the principle embodied In l the Clark amendment an abandonment of the duty of this nation and breach of trust toward the Filipinos; so be- | lieving, I cannot accept it or acquiesce
 in its acceptance.
 "I am obliged to make my position known immediately upon each of these afternoon upon the national defense question and in communication to the House committee having charge of the Philippine question.
 l If, with respect to either matter We I are not in agreement upon these funda- mental principles, then I could not, with propriety, remain your seeming repre- sentative in respect thereto. Our convic- l tions would be manifestly not only diver gent, but utterly irreconcilab!e.
 You will appreciate the necessity of timely knowledge upon my part of the | determination reached by you with re- spect to each of these matters, so that l I may act advisedly in the premises. Sincerely yours,
 ..LINDLEY M. GARRISON" MUST AWAIT ACTION President Wilson replied;
 i February 10, 1916. My Dear MT. Secretary:
 Tn reply to your letter of today, let me say:
 First that it is my own judgment thai the action embodied in the Clarke amend ment to the bill extending further sell
 government to the Philippines is unwist
 at this time. but it would clearly be most