The Elbert County tribune., 1916-03-03
YIELD NO RIGHTS
HONOR is AT STAKE, PRESIDENT
WILSON WRITES TO SEN
ATOR STONE.
Letter Announces that Executive VIII
Hold Germany to Promises for
Safety Of Americans on
the High Seas.
,yv.tern Newspaper Union News Service.


Washington.-Presid Wilson on
Thursday night. in letter to Senator
Stone explicitly declared that he will
not consent to barring OF American
citizens from armed passenger ships
as proposed by resolutions before
Congress and that If any nation de-
MES the right of Americans to safety
on board such vessels the United
States has lin honor no choice" as to
what its course should be.
The course which the central pow
ers are pursuing in their order to
sink without warning after March
all armed ships seems for the mo-
ment to threaten ''insuperable obsta-
cles,' the President wrote, but added
that, because of previous assurances,
he must believe explanations putting
different aspect on the situation
soon will be made.
White House, Feb. "a, 1s16.-My
Dear Senator: | very warmly sppre.
ciate your kind and frank letter OF
to-day and feel that It calls for an
equally frank reply You are right ln
assuming that stall do everything In
my power to keep the United States
out OF war. l think the country will
feel NJ uneasiness about my course in
that respect Through many anxious
months 1 have striven Tor that object
amidst difficulties more manifold than
can have been apparent upon the sur.
face. and so far | have succeeded. u
do not doubt that | shall continue to
succeed.
The course which the central Eu
ropean powers have announced their
intention of following in the future
with regard to under-sea warfare
seems for the moment to threaten In.
superable obstacles, but its apparent
meaning is so manifestly inconsistent
with explicit assurances recently Civ.
en- us by those powers with regard to
their treatment of merchant vessels
on the high seas that | must believe
that explanations will presently en-.
sue which will put different aspec,
upon it. We have had no reason 70
question their good faith or their IL
deity to their promises in the past,
and |, for one, feel confident that we
shall have none in the future.
But in any event our duty is clear:
No nation or group of nations has the
alter or'disregard the principles which
all nations have agreed upon in miti
cation of the horrors and sufferings
OF war, and If the clear rights OF
American citizens should ever un.
happily be abridged or denied by any
such action, we should, 1t seems. to
me, have in honor no choice as to
what our own course should be. For
my own part, cannot consent to any
abridgement of the rights of Amert
can citizens In any respect. The hon.
or and self-respect OF the nation is
involved. We covet peace and shall
preserve 1t at any cost, but the loss
of honor. To forbid our people tc
exercise their rights for fear we
might be called upon to vindicata
them would be a deep humiliation in
deed
/ 1T would be an implicit, all but an
explicit, acquiescence In the violation
OF the rights of mankind everywhera
and of whatever nation or allegiance
1t would be a deliberate abdication OF
our hitherto proud position as spokes
men even amid the turmoil of war for
/ the law and the right 1t would make
everything this government has at
tempted and everything that 1t has
achieved during this terrible struggle
of nations meaningless and futile.
"lt is important to reflect that II In
this instance we allowed expediency
to take the place of principle, the
door would inevitably be opened to
still further concessions. Once accept
single abatement of right and many
other humiliations would certainly fol
low and the whole fine fabric of inter
national law might crumble under our
hands, piece by piece. What we are
contending for in this matter is OF
the very essence of the things that
have made America a sovereign ma
ton She cannot yield them without
conceding her own impotency as !
nation and making virtual surrender
of her independent position among the
nations OF the world
81 am speaking. my dear senator, In
deep solemnity without he1t, with a
clear consciousness OF the high re
sponsibilities of my office and as
your sincere and devoted friend. II
we should unhappily differ. we shall
differ as friends, but where issues so
momentous as these are involved we
must, Just because we are frien Ia
sreak our minds without reservation.
Faithfully yours,
WOODROW WILSON"
The Presidents letter was in an.
swer to one written late Thursday aft
ernoon by Senator Stone outlining the
situation existing at the capitol.
where for two days. persistent de-
mands had been made for some action
! which might lessen the possibility OF
war between the United States ana