The Washington herald., 1916-03-03
SENATE REPLY
To PRESIDENT
COMING TODAY
Leaders Agree to Vote on
Gore Resolution to Prevent
Further Discussion.
LIKELY TO BE TABLED
LIKELY TO BE TABLED
Decision to Come to Show
down Reached After Okla
homa Senator's Speech.
MANY WHITE HOUSE PARLEYS
Wilson Gives Out Statement Denying
Saying U. S. Might End War by
Break with Germany.

The reply of the Senate to President
Wilson's demand for a vote on the
armed merchantmen question will be
given today.
After a day of turmoil, Senate lead
ers agreed to bring up the Gore reso-
luton when the Senate meets this
morning, and obtain a vote at. once
The resolution warns Americans
against travelling on armed vessels of
the belligerent powers.
The vote will not be taken on the
merits of the resolution and in that
respect will fall short of complying
with the Presidents expressed request
The understanding last night was
that the Senate would vote on a mo-
ton to lay the resolution on the ia BILE.
the motion would be carried by a
large majority.
The decision to take this step fol-
lowed a sensational debate in the Sem
ate, and its object is largely to pre-
vent a recurrence of the outbreak. A
Imotion to table a resolution automati-
cally cuts off debate.
Gore stIrs senate.
The most stirring incident of the
day came when Senator Gore. speak
ing in the Senate, made the statement
on authority which, seemed most re-
sponsible," that the President had
told members of the Senate and House
that the United States would aid civil,
lizstions~ by. entering the Euro
pean war"
As Senator Gore understood it, the
President said:
That If Germany insisted upon her
position the United States would in
sist upon her position, and that it
would probably result in a breach of
diplomatic relations, and that a breach
OF diplomatic relations would probably
be followed by a state of war and
that state of war might not be of it,
self and of necessity an evil to this
republic, but that the United States
by entering upon war now might be
able to bring it to conclusion by
midsummer, and thus render a great
service to civilization"
Denial with Reservations
This brought a denial with reservations
from Senator Stone. chairman OF the For
eign Relations Committee, after Senator
Gore had turned to him questioninEly
Senator Gore then asked Senator Kern II
the information was true, but the ma
tority leader sat silent in his chair and
did not reply.
The White House later issued a denial,
in the following form:
when the attention Of the White House
was called to certain statements in SEN
ator Cores speech this afternoon, the
President authorized an unqualified denial
of any utterance to which any such mean
ing could be attached"
Notwithstanding the many denials, there
remains the general understanding in Off
ciaI circles that the White House and
State Department have both received in
timations that breach of diplomatic re-
lations would mean war. This opinion has
been expressed. freely, though, privately,
in diplomatic circles, for some weeks.
The belief is strong that Secretary Lam
sing has had this pointed out to him by
Count Won Bernstorff. the German Am
bassador. The Secretary and Ambassa-
dor alike. however. declined to discuss the
subject last night.
Numerous Conferences.
Next in Importance to the situation in
the Senate yesterday were the numerous
conferences at the White House between
the President and his advisers and Minor
ity Leader Mann. of the House of Repre-
sentatives.
The Senate adjourned last night until
II o'clock this morning, with an under
standing that the Gore resolution was
to be called up at once
7 poll of the Senate revealed that the
vote on the motion to table the resolu.
ton would be substantially so for and Is
n 1ainst