The Odanah star. [volume] (Odanah, Ashland Co., Wis.) 1912-1916, 1916-03-03
WILSON ASKS VOTE
. ON FOREIGN POLICY
Congress Urged to Act on Sea.
Warning Resolution.
LETTER SENT TO COMMITTEE
Believed President Either Knows He
Can Defeat Measure or He Seeks
to Put Issue Up to the
Lawmakers.

Washington, March With Ger
many at midnight inaugurating her
new program Of sinking all armed mer-
chant ships without warning, ignoring
the desire of the United States for a
pOstpOnement of the campaign, Presi.
dent Wilson put the matter of Ameri-
can rights at sea up to congress.
In a letter to Representative Pou,
ranking member of the house commit
tee in the absence of Chairman Henry,
the president urged an early vote on
the resolution proposing to warn
Americans not to sail On armed mer-
chantmen, pointing out that reports of
a difference Of opinion in congress is
being made use of in foreign capitals
in distasteful manner.
The letter is taken to mean either
that the president has taken a poll of
the house and knows he can beat the
resolution or that he has adopted this
method of letting congress take the
difficult matter out of his hands.
Confers With Lansing.
President Wilson and Secretary Lam
sing held lengthy conference at the
White House over the international
situation. Secretary Lansing took with
him all the documents in his posses
sion bearing on the armed merchant
men controversy. Secretary Lansing
ind ho% n
state department had announced that
the situation looked more hopeful He
declared that there was no basis for
such a report.
The secretary issued formal state
ment announcing that reports of the
contents of the German memorandum
laid before him by Bernstorff had not
been made public by himself or his de-
partment and further declared no
statements had been made expressing
his departments views regarding the
memorandum.
Denies Publication.
His statement follows:
''In view of the publication this
view of the state department on the
communication received from the Ger
man ambassador wish to say that
the contents of the communication
have not been made public by me, and
that any statement as to the views of
the state department on the cOmmuni-
cation is absolutely unauthorized.
IT have made no comment and ex-
pressed no opinion in regard to the
matter"
Cabinet Debates Issue.
The cabinet for more than an hour
discussed the latest German sugges-
lions. 1t was explained by Secretary
Lansing that the position assumed by
German Ambassador Won Bernstorff
and Austrian Charge Zwiedinek at
Mondays conference showed conclus-
lively that Germany and Austria never
will agree that any vessel carrying
arms is immune from attack without
warning. This did not of necessity
mean, the secretary is understood to
have pointed out, that an immediate
violation of American rights was con-
tenaplated. But it added to the gravity
of the situation, inasmuch as at any
time something might develop which
would force actiou by the United
States.
That definite decision for action
was reached by the cabinet was sug-
gested in official circles, but under or
ders from the president members de-
clined to talk when the session broke
up.
Keep Congress Quiet.
Meanwhile > the house and senate
leaders were sitting on the lid deter
mined to prevent congress making
any move at this time that will seri-
ously embarrass the United States I'M
der existing circumstances. Senator
Stone, chairman of the senate COM
mittee of foreign relations, arranged
to confer with Secretary Lansing. He
will suggest again that serious damage
may result unless the administration
agrees to take the two houses of con-
gress into its confidence on every move
that is made The reason for the gen.
eral agitation, Stone will tell the secre-
tary, is that members are forced to
'tgrope in the dark" because they do
not know what is going on.
20 aHiAIrDC UIIICn DV D.ACT