The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-03-01
WILSON DEMANDS
Asks For Vote on PROPOSE
lion to Surrender
Rights.

Hi ia4,5 8 -HIr Bs5f NsA4 fMT.F~3
WASHINGTON, Mch. President
Wilson threwSdown the gauntlet 70.
1.-The peaceatany price advocates IN.
ttConxress and asked for q record vote
lon the MeLemore bill, which IS the
House eduiYalenta,of the Gore. bul,
surfendertng the right OF Americans
to travel the seas on armed merchant
men.
Edward ". Pou Of North Carolina,
1who is acting chairman OF the Rules
ICommittee OF 'the House, the President
asked that steps be taken to provide
an early vote on the surrender+resoT
Hutton.
II the House. In the faceSo Of the
Ipresident.s challenge should pass the
IMcLemore resolution, or any resolu-
Ition5lfke ST, &c is feared by President
WILSON'S advisors that he might re-
fuse to be the Democratic candidate
for reelection as president
It was because the sttuationjn Con-
Egress has been seized upon In Ger
many as proof that the American peo5
lple would not stand behind Wilson IN
Ibis firm attitude In the submarine con:
Itroyersy that the President resolved
Iupon the public test. The President
stated frankly in his letter that the
attitude Of the Democratic Congress
was being made industrious use OF IN
foreign capitals" What he did not say
but what is equally true. Is that Ger
many's recent note to the American
government refusing to change the
order that all. armed merchantmen
shall be sunk was due largelytto the
assumption by Germany that Congress
would not stand behind the President.
The Presidents letter was as tol'
lows:
Ny Dear Mr.. Pou-Inasmuch asI
learn that Mr.. Henry, chairman
OF the committee on rules, Is abb.
sent. in Texas, I take the liberty
OF calling your attention as q
ranking member Of the committee
to q matter o 'grave concern to the
country which can, I believe, be
handled under the rules OF the
House only by that Committee.
The report that there are div1d-
ed ~counsels in Congress in regard
toEthe foreign policy OF the gov Z
ernmentiis being made industrious
use of in foreign capitals. be-
alieve that report to be false but
SO long as 1t is anywhere credited
it cannot fall to do the greatest
harm and expose the country to
the most serious risks. | there
fore, feel justified in asking that
your committee will permit me to
urge an. early vote upon the res
olutions with regard to travel on
armed merchantmen, which nave
been so much talked about. In
order that there may be Afforded
an opportunity for full public dis
cussioni and action upon them, and
that all doubts and con1ectures
may be swept away and our for: /.
eign relations once 9 cleared =
of damaging MISUNDERSTANDING.
The matter is of SO grave i'm
rortance and lies so clearly with
in the field OF executive initiative
that ! venture to hope that your
committee will not think that am
taking unwarranted liberty in
making this suggestion as to the
business Of the House. and very
earnestly commend it to their i'm
mediate consideration.
The President decided to make the
test in the House because it Is there
that the peace.at-any.price advocates
have been said to have their greatest
strength. Moreover, he preferred that
the House should go on record in the
open, whereas the Senate might have
decided to consider the matter in ex-
ecutive session.
Furthermore Speaker Clark made
the public prediction that il the reso-
utions came to a vote in the House
they would be passed by a vote of
1.-TWO to one. Where he obtained this
Information, and whether or not there
is any real basis for it does not APP
pear. 1t Is significant, however, that
a poll Of his own delegation. shows a
majority opposed to the resolutions.
The Presidents letter forces the
hand Of Congress. There has been
much talk there. but it is a question
whether a majority, now that the lid