The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-02-25
''No Nation Has Right to Alter or Disregard Prin cip1es of War and If Rights of American Citi- zens Should Be Abridged, We Should Have No Choice in Course"

washington, Feb. 25-President Wilson has picked up the gage of bat tie thrown down by the House of Representatives In letter ring ing with determination, he made clear last night that he would go to war with Germany and Austria rather than surrender the inalienab1e rights of American citizens to traverse the high seas. VI
 The President placed honor above expedfencys and showed that he was determined upon no halfway meas ures in dealing with the situation That is his answer to- those members of his@party who will call upon him today aad endeavor to persuade him to yield to the clamor that interna- tionaI law be changed to fhe extent of telling American citizens that they have no right to travel on merchant ships armed for defense.
 This ringing letter was written to Senator Stone, chairman of the Conn 1nittee on Foreign Relations, and giv- en to the press by the White House cefved q note from Senator Stone setting forth the critical aspect of affairs in Congress with respect to the armed merchantmen qu uestion- h his response, pEarased in sentences~with a, thrill to then.sthe President placed honor other ekpedienty, and declared that he intended tos insist that the rights of Americans on the high seas sbe preserved without abrid cement.
 The President's letter leaves no doubt that he would be willing to go to war with Germany and Austria to uphoId that principle of international law which makes the high seas free and assures safety for the lives of noncom bafafats at the hands of bel- Iizersrts. tf7e is willing to wage war with the House of Representatdt tes, no matter what it's effect may be upon his political fortunes, as well with the Central Powers, if need be. no matter what it's efrect may be upon the fu- ture of the4United States
 An UuIdtmatum to Germany.
 Tsut more Important, the Presidents letter to Senator Stone is virtually an y,lttrnsCtt1rn to the g0vernments of Ger many and Austria that they must not carry out their armed ynerchanInen order at the expense of the lives or American citizens. If they do so the Tinted States will join in the great European contest: that is obvious from what the President tells the chairman of the Senate committee on Foreign relations
 For my part. declared Pres1dent wilson to Senator Stone, sI can not consent to any abrfdgement of the rights of American citizens in any re- spect The honor and seIf-respect of the nation is involved We court peace and shall preserve # at any cost but the loss of honor To forbid our people to exercise their rights for fear we might be called upon to vindi- cate them would be a deep hun1ilia- ton fndeed-s'
 In his letter the President expr esses confidence that he will continue to- succeed in1his efforts to keep the nar ~tidn out of war. The course of the Central Powers "seems for the srno- ment to threaten insuperable obsta- clesss but the President holds that it's apparent meaning is so inconsistent with previous pledges that he believes lanations will put a different as- yDect on it. He declares that no nation or group ofknations, can change inter- rational law while war is in progress The clear right of American cftfzensS he holds, cannot be abridged without making the United States take the only. course that honor dictates
 Won't Be Influenced.
 Congressmen will know by the. Presidents letter in the newspapers thatfit will be useless for them to pass any resolution oh the armed rner-s cEantmen question, The President will not be influenced in any way in the conduct of the negotiations with Ger many by the adoption of any such declaration. Today it was being pre- dicted in the House that if the. Presf- dent took a firm stand it would be inn possible to get majority of members to vote for a measure warming Anerf- can citizens that if they strayeled on armed merchant vessels they would have no protection from their govern 1nent The Presidents letter shows that the government will stand for their rights in the future as it has in the past in the Lusitania, Arabic, and other instances.
 It is expected that some of those CoDgressmen who were panic-strick- k itsn yesterday over what they supposed was the near prospect of war will see in the Presidents letter to Senator Stone an even more critical situation But it's believed here that the atti- fude< of the President will have. a greater effect in preventing break between the United States and the Central Powers than in accentuati the prospect. Officials said today that while they had no official iinfor- nation on the subject, they were satisfied that the German and Aus rian governments would postpone un- til April at least the execution of their armed merchantmen orders. With this increased period for diplo- naatic negotiations the opportunity will be afforded for this government to persuade the Berlin and Vienna governments that the orders should be cancAlled-
 Caln1er Feeling ia Congress.
 Yesterdays hysteria in the House