The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-03-03
WILSON'S STAND
ON ARMED SHIPS
UPHELD BY VOTE
Continued from page 1

Continued from page 1
ent situation above partisan politics
and for that reason there would be
no secret sessions of the Democratic
members to arrive at some plan of
action.
Immediately after the senate vote,
Senator Reed, Democrat, read a state
ment saying he felt it was highly
important that the impression in Ger
many that the country and Congress
was not behind the President would
be removed and that therefore he
was opposed to the Gore resoluIti on.
''It is of the highest Importance"
said he, that all the world under
stand that ON any question of the
rights of the American government or
pie stand as unit and it should be
understood that they will uphold.
support and defend these rights, if
necessary, to the last breath"
President Wilson's position on the
international situation as revealed
further today was that he told Con-
gressional leaders as it was months
after the resignation of forme1 Sec
rotary Bryan before the United States
government could convince Germany
that this nation was in earnest in its
position on the submarine war.
He is understood to have mention
ed this fact to show his belief that
ton of the United States abroad. He
is understood to have told lea ders
that the charges he wanted to get the
United States into war were entirely
disproved by his attitude during the
last two years. He endured jeers
and ridicule, he said, because Of his
efforts to maintain peace. He is un-
derstood to have declared that he
has always been willing to do any
thing except sacrifice honor in order
to maintain the United States at
peace.
At the same time the President de-
c1ared he did not see how the United
diplomatic relations with any nation
which killed Americans in violation
of international law.
While both Secretary Lansing and
Count Won Bernstorff, the German am
bassador, have fatty declined to COM
ment upon the statements regarding
the possibility Of war attributed to
President Wilson by Senator Gore and
then denied by the White House. it
was learned today. that mention of the
result of a. break of diplomatic rela-
tions had been discussed quite casually
and informally by the secretary and
the ambassador late in January of this
year.
According to authoritative informa-
tom, the decision came alta time when
Secretary Lansing Informed the am
bassador exactly what kind of a COM
munication from Germany would set
tie the Lusitania. case in a manner sat
isfactory to the United States. The
ambassador is said to have informed
Mr. Lansing that he believed his gov
eminent would change some of the
expressions used in the document
which the Secretary had indicated
would be acceptable. They agreed
that the ambassador should submit
the document to his government and
see what changes it would suggest,
which the ambassador did. At the
same time. quite informally, he is un-
derstood to have asked the secretary
what he thought would be the ulti-
mate result should Germany fail to
meet the requirements of the United
States.
Secretary Lansing, it is said, told
the ambassador that in event of a
complete disagreem emit of the sub
,ect, the United States might be oblig
ed to break off diplomatic relations.
The ambassador is reliably represent
ed as having replied that he fully
understood the view of the secretary
and to have added the hope that moth
ing of the kind ever would occur.
The ambassador pointed out that
with diplomatic relations severed
there would be no agency by which
the enthusiasm of naval commanders
coulc. not he held in check and some
circumstance was almost certain to
occur to lead to hostilities. The
ambassador also is represented as
having pointed out that the modifca-
tions in the conduct of submarine
warfare made since the beginning of
the war had been solely on account
of regard for the wishes of the Unit
ed States.
The authority from which this in
formation was obtained said it should
be understood that the ambassador
was only expressing his own personal
opinions and that the conversation
with Secretary Lansing was absolute
Iy informal and not to be regarded as
significant of anything.