Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1916-03-02

Washington, Feb. 2i--Presidcnt VIII
son, at the end Of two days of agitation
| in Congress for some action warning
| Americans off armed merchant ships of
the European belligerents, tonight wrote
! Senator Stone. chairman OF the Senate
| foreign relations committee, that he
| could not consent to any abridgment
| Of the rights OF American citizens II,
| any respect.
THE honor and sefrespect Of the ma.
ton is involved" he said. I'VE cove,
peace, and shall preserve it at any cost
but the loss of honor"
The President expressed hope that cx-
plantations Of the declared intentions OF
the central European powers to sink all
armed merchant ships without warning
would put a different aspect on situa-
tion which now seemed to present in
superable obstacles.
! We have had no reason to question
their good faith or their fidelity to their
promises in the past" he added "and
for one feel confident that we shall have
none in the future"
The letter was in answer to one writ
ten late to-day by Senator Stone out
lining the situation existing at the
Capitol: where since yesterday morning
persistent demands had been made for
some action which might lessen the
possibility OF war between the United
States and Germany. The President $
statement will be repeated tomorrow
morning to Speaker Clark. Representa-
tive Kitchin, majority leader, and Rep
! rcsentativc Flood. chairman of the
House foreign affairs committee. who
late to-day asked for an engagement in
order to explain tho position in which
| the House found Itself and ask the Pres
ident for a statement OF the administra-
tons views. The letter follows.
! THE PRESIDENTS LETTER.
| MY Dear Senator:
81 very warmly appreciate your kind
and frank letter of to-day and feel that
it calls for an equally frank reply.
You are right in assuming that I
shall do everything in my power to keep
the United States out Of war. | think
the country will feel no uneasness about
| my course in that respect. Through,
many anxious months / have strven for
that object, amidst difficulties more
manifold than can have been apparent
upon the surface; and so far J. have
succeeded. I do not doubt that l shall
continue to succeed. The course which
the central European powers have an
nounced their intention of following in
the future with regard to undersea
warfare seems for the moment to
threaten insuperable obstacles, but
its apparent meaning is so man.
ifestly inconsistent with explicit as
surances recently given us by those
powers with regard to their treatmen,
| Of merchant vessels on the high seas
that | must believe that explanations
will presently ensue which will put a
| different aspect upon 1t. We have had
no reason to question their good faitI
or their fidelity to their promises in the
past, and I. for one. feel confident tina,
We shall have none in the future.
But in any event, our duty Is clear
No nation, no group OF nations. has the
right while war is in progress to alter
or disregard the principles which all
nations have agreed upon in mitiga-
ton of the horrors and sufferings OF
war; and if the clear rights Of Amer
lean citizens should ever unhappily be
abridged or denied by any such action
we should, it seems to me. have in hon
or no choice as to what our own course
should be
For my own part cannot consent
to any abridgnent of the rights OF
American citizens in any respect. The
honor and self respect of the nation
is involved. We covet peace, and shall
preserve it at any cost but the loss OF
honor. To forbid our people to exer
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