Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1916-03-03
Senator Stone Opposed.

HACliou Ill llle SclldIc, IL AZ U0IlcVcUS
will be followed promptly by sitting
opposition in the house against the
presidents policy. In one Of the
greatest nonpartisan debates the sen.
ate has heard in years, Chairman
Stone Of the foreign relations COM
mittee declared he was not in accord
with the president. Senator Lodge.
the ranking Republican, pledged his
support to the presidents determine
ton TO secure to Americans their
rights on the high seas, and Senator
John Sharp Williams, just from a
sick bed, delivered whitening denun-
citation Of the presidents opponents.
The senate adjourned until tomor.
row at eleven o'clock, when the ad-
minstration leaders plan to bring up
the Gore resolution, and table it, dis.
posing of it finally, as an embarrass.
ment to the president on his conduct
with the diplomatic negotiations with
Germany. They have found that not
more than twenty-three votes can be
mustered against them.
House Is Weakening.
In the house, where the president
was faced with further delay, the
promise Of administration victory in
(the senate gave signs Of breaking up
the opposition, and the leaders were
confident tonight OF similar action
there.
While the senate debated, there
came news to the state department
from Berlin which convinced officials
that the dissention in congress was
being used deliberately to weaken
the Presidents hands in Germany.
Confidential advices state that re.
ports circulated in the German capi-
tai as having come from Washington,
declared that congress stood five to
one against the president.
Out of the senate debate came q
turn, which for the moment threat
ened to overshadow the real features
of the contest, and probably disclose
the basis for the agitation at the
capital.
Gore Tells Story.
Senator Gore, while the senate sat
wrapped in amaZement, related a
story that President Wilson, at his
conference with congress leaders q
week ago, had declared that Ger
many's insistance on her position on
the submarine controversy probably
would result in breach of diploma.
tic relations, that a breach probably
would be followed by war, and "that
a state of war might not Of itself and
Of necessity be an evil to this repub.
lie, but that the United States, by
entering upon war now, might be
able to bring it to conclusion by
and thus render great
service to civilization"
Senator Gore claimed he did not
say the story was true, but that it
came to him with such a concurrence
of testimony and such marks Of truth
that he did not feel that he could dis
charge his duty as a senator and
withhold it.
Chairman Stone, of the foreign re-
lations committee, at once replied
that the president had never stated
to him or in his hearing that he be-
lieved, or in any way entertained the
thought that war between the United
States and Germany would be desir-
able, or would result in good to the
United States When the White
House heard what Senator Gore said
this statement was issued:
Denies Statement.
'When the attention of the White
House was called to certain state
ments in Senator Cores speech this
afternoon, the president authorized
an unqualified denial of any utterance
to which any such meaning could be
1t was explained on his behalf that
the president had told the congress
man that he could not predict what
would follow a breaking of of diplo-
matte relations and had expressed in
the most vigorous terms his hope
that the United States would not be
drawn into war, and his ,determina-
ton to continue to bend his every
effort to prevent it.
1t was denied that the president
had said anything to convey the inn
preston that he desired the United
States to enter the war to shorten 1t,
or for any other reason, but he re- J.
iterated the necessity of upholding
the national honor of the United
States at all costs.
Complicates Situation.
No attempt was made to minimize
the realization of the effect Senator
Cores declaration might have In the
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