The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1916-02-25
HONOR OF NATION
INVOLVED SAYS
=: /. WILSON IN LETTER
President Writes Letter to Senator
Stone Refusing to Surrender
+ Rights of Citizens.
TO WITHDRAW WOULD BE TO ~
SURRENDER SELF-RESPECT
Wilson, Clark, Kitchin and Flood in
Conference; No Action Taken =.
by Congress.

Washington. Feb. 25.-President
Wilson, at the end of two days Of
agitation in congress for action
warning Americans off armed mer-
chantmen, wrote letter last night
to Senator Stone, chairman of the
senate foreign relations committee,
stating that he could not consent to
the abridgement of the rights of Am
erican citizens in any respect. 4.
"The honor and self-respect of the
nation is involved" he said. 1--WE
covet peace and shall preserve it at
any cost, but the loss of honor"
The president expressed hope that
explanations of the declared inten-
tion of the central European powers
to sink all armed merchant ships
without warning would put a differ
ent aspect on the situation which now
seemed to present insuperable obsta-
cles.
1--WE have had no reason to ques-
tion their good faith or fidelity to
their promises in the past" he ad-
ded, ''and for one, feel confident that
we shall have none in the FUTURE"
Answers Stones Letter.
The letter was in answer to one
written yesterday by Senator Stone,
outlining the situation existing at
the capitol, where since Wednesday
morning, persistent demands had been
made for some action which might
lessen the possibility of war between
the United States and Germany.
The presidents statement was re-
peated this morning to Speaker
Clark, Representative Kitchen, ma
jority leader, and Representative
Flood, chairman of the house foreign
affairs committee, who had an en-
gagement in order to explain the po-
sition in which the house found it.
self and asked the president for a
statement for the administration
views.
Strives for Peace.
In his letter the president said he
will do everything in my power to
keep the United States out Of war;"
continuing in part:
''I think the country will feel no
uneasiness about my course in that
respect. Through many anxious
months have striven for that object,
amidst difficulties more manifold than
can have been apparent upon the sur
face and so far I have succeeded.
do not doubt that shall continue to
succeed
Stand for Rights.
"But in any event our duty is
clear. No nation or group of ma
tions has the right while the war is
in progress to alter or disregard the
principles which all nations have
agreed upin in mitigation Of the hor-
rors and sufferings of war; and If the
clear rights of American citizens
should ever unhappily be abridged or
denied by any such action we should,
it seems to me, have in honor no
choice as to what our own course
should be.
"It is important to reflect that If
| in this instance we allowed expedi-
ency to take the place Of principle,
the door would inevitably be opened
to still further concession.
Impossible to Yield.
''What we are contending for In
this matter is of the very essence Of
the things that have made America q
sovereign nation. She cannot yield
them without conceding her own i'm
potency as a nation and making v1r-
|tual surrender of her Independent
lposition among the nations OF the
world" -.--- -
The president wrote his letter dur
ling the afternoon shutting himself up
in his study. ..z.-ss -s4-.-..- -...s-
No Change Announced. =
At the state department today it
was stated that in it's international
|aspects the situation had no changed
!: in the slightest degree for three or
four days. u - - sss
Today's developments in congress
showed the administration leaders
holding their lines against any such