The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-03-02
"Advance Civilization by Clash
With Germany Arms"
'It Might End Europe Car
nage," He Quotes President.
STONE AND WILSON DISAGREE
Leader Believes
President Is Wrong.
Woodrow Gamely Demands a
Showdown in Congress.

Washington, March 2.-The
armed ship issue suddenly blaz-
ed up in the senate today with
the most sensational debate of
the session in which Senator
Gore, Democrat, and author of
resolution to warn Americans
off belligerent vessels repeated
what he characterized as a re-
port that President Wilson had
told certain congress leaders
that war between the United
States and Germany might not
be ungrateful and might result
/ in advancing civilization by
bringing about the end of the
European war by midsummer.
Chairman Stone of the foreign rela-
tions committee emphaticaly denled
that the president ever had expressed
any such sentiment in his nearing anu
Senator James another administration
Gore had not sought to confirm the
report from the president himself
The Storm Breaks.
The storm broke in the senate un-
expectedly when Senator stone, an
nouncing that he was not in accord
with the presidents demand for de-
feat of the armed ship resolutions pro-
posed a means to let the Gore resolu
ton come to vote and Senator James
announced that the administration
forces had the votes to defeat it. )
The debate ended without action and
the senate passed to other business
with the prospect of taking up the
Gore resolution at an early hour to-
morrow.
Senator Gore declared that at the
proper time he would put squarely
before the senate whether the sink
a submarine would be considered sut-
ficient cause for war.
. IT introduced my resolution because
l was apprehenSive we were heading
toward war" said Gore. My act was
based on a report which seemed to
me to come from the highest author
ity that certain senators and mem
bers of the house in a conference
with the president received from him
the intimation if not the declaration,
that if Germany insisted on her po-
sition the United States would insist
upon hers, and that this would re-
suit probably in a breach of diplomat
| ic relations, and a breach would prob
ably be followed by a state of war
and that a state of war might not be
an evil, might not be ungrateful, might
end the war by midsummer. and thus
might render great service to civil
ization. / cannot certify to the truth
] of the report. I tell the tale as it was
told to me. There were such external
and internal marks of truth that I
feared that it might be the truth.
| Stone Flares Up.
| well, in fairness to the president" ;"
| said Senator Stone, Il think I should
state that the president never stated
| to me nor stated in my hearing that
| he believed or in any way entertained
| the thought that war between the
United States and the central powers
would be desirable or would result in
any good, or would not be ungrate-
! full"
"It is well known that the presi-
dent has a passion for peace" inter-
| jected Senator Kern, in a tone which
| indicated a flat denial of Senator
Cores charge.
Il have no passion for peace" Sen
ater Gore responded. II do not be
lieve all peace is honorable or that all
war is dlshcnorable, but 1 repeat that
what l heard of the reported CONVEX
sation between the president and sena-
tor from Missouri, L believed to be
| founded on fact because OF the source
from which it came to me- [ was
convinced that there must be some
basis for the report that the president
suggested to the senator from Missouri
that the United States might bring the
war to a close in the middle of the
| summer.
Senator Stone jumped to his feet a
second time.
THE president of the United States
made no such statement as quoted by
the senator from Oklahoma
Stone declared emphatically
Presidents Words Sacred.
Whatever the president did say is
| peat. Whenever L go to the White
House, for a conference with the pres
ident what he says to EN- is sacred. |
have not repeated the conversation I
had with thep resident. I have stated
impressions the conversation made on
my mind. l stated in substance my
impressions in my letter to the presi-
dent which was made public"
II made no intimation that the SEN
ator from Missouri had repeat
ed the conversation. Senator
Washington. March 2.-Administra-
ton forces, faced with delay in the
house turned today to the senate to
carry out President Wilson's demand
for the defeat of a. resolution warn
ing Americans off armed ship OF
European belligerents.
Chairman Stone of the foreign re-
lations committee announcing openly
from the floor that he was not in ac-
cord with the president on the issue