Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-02-15

cerned they would have TO take my
plan or none.
90 not ARE your. opinion that
the members Of the house vino are
charged with the duty of dealing
With military affairs are ignorant of
them or OF the military necessities
of the nation. On the contrary, I
have found them we'll informed and
actuated Dy q most intelligent ap-
probation OF the grave responsible
ties imposed upon them. l am sure
that Mr.. Hay and his colleagues are
ready to act with a full sense Of all
that it, involved In this great mat
ter both for the country and for the
national parties which they repre-
sent. ...
Ny own duty toward them is per-
fectly plain. welcome frank
interchange OF views and patient
and thorough comparison of all, the
methods proposed for obtaining the
objects we all have in view. So
far as my own participation III
final Legislative action is concerned,
not one will expect me to acquiesce
in any proposal that l regard as in
adequate or illusory. If, as the out
come of q free interchange, OF views,
my own Judgment and that OF the
committee should prove to be ire
concilably different and a bill should
be presented TO me which I could
not accept as accomplishing the es-
sential things sought, il would mani
testify be my duty to veto II and
20 70 the country on the merits. But
there lie no reason to anticipate or
fear such a result, unless we should
ourselves take at the outset the po-
sition that only the plans of the de-
partment are TO be considered; and
that position, IL seems to me, would
be wholly unjustifiablc. The com
lnittee and the congress VIII e2pect
me to be as frank with them as l
hope they will be with me, and
will of course hold me justified In
lighting for my own matured opin-
ion.
have had a delightfully."- frank
conference with Mr.. Hay. ] have
said to him that I was perfectly
willing TO consider any plan that
would give US a national reserve UNI
der unmistGkable national control
and would support any such scheme
IL convinced OF it's adequacy ana
wise policy. More he has not asked
or desired.
Cordially and sincerely yours,
WOODROW WILSON
Secretary Garrison's next letter FOL
lows:
MY Dear AIR. President:
1.-TWO matters within the 5urisdic-
ton OF this department are now or
immediate and pressing Importance
and I am constrained to declare my
position definitely and unnistaK-
ably thereon. refer, of course, 10
the Philippine question and the mat
ten OF national defense. You KNOW
my convictions with respect to eacn
Of them.
az consider the principle embodied
in the Clarke amendment an abail-
Comment of the duty OF this nation
and a breach Of trust toward tho
Filipinos so believing, cannot ac-
cept it or acquiesce In its accept
ance.
81 am obliged to make my posi-
ton known Immediately upon each
of these questions, in speech on
Thursday afternoon upon the ma
tional defense question and IN
communication to the house commit
tee having charge of the Philippine
question.
s'If. with respect 70 either matter,
we are not in agreement upon these
fundamental principles, then / could
not with propriety. remain your
seeming representative in respect
thereto. Our convictions would be
manlfestly not only divergent out
utterly irreconcilable.
"You VIII appreciate the necessity
OF timely knowledge upon my part
Of the determination reached by you
with respect to each of these mat
ters, so that 1 may act advisedly In
the premises. ...-
Sincerely yours,
"LINDLEY NJ. GARRISON.
President Wilson replied:
y. February. 10, 1916.
'.NIy Dear Mr.. Secretary:
I'm reply to your letter Of today,
let me say:
FIRST, that it is my own judg-
ment that the action embodied In the
Clarke amendment to the bill eX-
tending further self-government TO