The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1916-02-25
WILSON FIRM IN
SUBSEA STAND
Insists Rights Of Americans
Must Be Protected.
REJECTS PLAN TO COMPROMISE

Proposal Is Put Up to President by
Democratic Senate and House Lead
ers to Abridge Rights of Americans
to Travel on Seat Is EmphaticaI-
Iy Turned Down.
WASHINGTON, D. C. President
Wilson has emphatically rejected pro-
poSals from members of his party liz
congress which will relieve him of the
responsibility of forcing an issue with
Germany over the new Berlin subma'
rine declaration. Such proposals took
the form of suggested legislation pro.
hibiting American citizens from trav.
cling on armed merchantmen.
The suggestions were laid before
the President by Chairman Stone and
Flood of the senate and house foreign
affairs committees, respectively. and
by Majority Leader Kern Of the SEN
ate at the conference held at the
White House
Must Settle by Law.
The President rejected the proposals
without qualification and the con-
ferees came away from the White
House with the understanding that it
was Mrs. Wilson's firm intention to
insist upon cleancut statement of
the submarine case in the basis of
law and facts in the case.
Members of congress also heard
some of the details of the conference
and declare that the President is pre-
pared to insist upon the withdrawal
by Germany of her declaration of in
tention to torpedo without warning all
armed enemy merchantmen after
March l.
U. S. Citizens Must Be Protected.
The President was described as de-
termined that Germany must acknowl-
edge the right of American citizens to
travel in safety on the high seas
whether the ships they use be unarm-
ed or armed for defense. belligerent
or neutral.
The President is said to have de-
veloped great Impotence over the de-
lay that has already occurred in the
submarine negotiations and to have
intimated to the members of congress
that the lives of American citizens
have already too long been put in
jeopardy. Democrats in the senate
were under the distinct impression
that the President had made up his
mind that the time for parleying was
over and that there must be a definite
understanding between Germany and
the U. S. in the near future if friend
ly relations are to continue.
Germany May Postpone 1t.
Il That Germany will seek to discuss
q and may perhaps go so far as to agree
u voluntarily to a postponment of her
= new declaration. was strongly init
~ mated in confidential advices which
81 reached Washington from Berlin.
NJ The conference at. the White House
); Monday night, it was learned, was mi.
4 tiated by Chairman Stone. of the sen
Z, the foreign relations committee. When
the President was informed of the
senator's request for an appointment
and learned that the senators wished
to discuss with him the German stu,
alton he at once decided to call in
Senator Kern. of Indiana, and Sena-
ator Flood The three Democrats
called together. They had with them
a copy of a Joint resolution prohibit
ing Americans from travelling on bel
ligerent liners. Tt was learned that the
visitors laid the resolution before the
President with the suggestion that
its passage or the passage of a similar
one would relieve the administration
of the embarrassment of taking the
position that merchant vessels have
the right to arm and of insisting on
this right in face of the new German
decree and in face of the arguments
to the contrary which Secretary Lans-
ing laid before the entente powers.
Reflections Emphatic
The President. it is said, emphatical-
" rejected the, suggestion, declaring
that the passage of such resolution
would be contrary to the aims Of the
administration.