New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-03-02

we ought TO give it TO him
Authentic. SAYS Swanson
Senator Pomereue. Democrat, o.
Ohio. said that. i'm addition 20 press
dispatches. the Senate had the state
ment Of Senator Swanson that the Llln-
mcrmann dispatch was authentic.
substantially correct interpreted
Senator swanson.
Senator Stone. chairman OF the FOR
eign Relations Committee. said:
1T seems to me that the resolution
ought 70 20 TO the Committee on fof-
eign Relations Here Is q paper
report that the Secretary OF Foreign
b Relations Of the German government
/ has sent the German Ambassador IN
7 Washington a certain letter which APP
pears in tho morning papers. We are
! not informed as 10 the source. ms
alleged dispatch may not be authentic.
/ II may not be true. There may be
q something behind all this that we do
/ not know about. I would like TO know
all about il. how il was obtained and
/ from whom. and ! want to know the
, facts tending to establish its authen-
I ITCHY"
/ Senator Smith Republican. of Mfchi-
/ gan. suggested the President could re-
/ fuse to give TIE information If he de-
sired.
Il have sustained the President
throughout this crisis he said, and !
am going TO sustain him now. but !
think we are entitled to information
properly within his possession, without
any hesitation or delay
Senator Swanson's statement - the
Senate after he had talked with Presi-
dent Wilson regarding the Iimmer-
] mann tot4a~ WAS follows.
Il will state that / have talked with
tho President about the letter referred
70 i'm the resolution which has Just been
read and he authorized me TO state that
the letter therein referred TO is sub
stantiallv correct. ! have no objection
30 the consideration and passage Of the
resolution
Lodge Wants Facts
Replying to Senator Hardwick, who
said il was Every dangerous 70 act i'm
mediately on such resolution and that
Senator Lodge must understand 1T was
"a most touchy proposition Senator
Lodge said;
That is the reason ! introduced the
resolution. This news appeared in The
Associated Press this morning, not IN
an individual newspaper, but in The AS
sociatcd Press. a great scattering
association of this country the great
est probably IN the world. II has put
forward seriously and solemnly what
purports 10 be a dispatch from the Sec
rotary of State for Foreign Relations
i'm Germany inviting Mexico and Japan
10 unite with them in war upon the
United States
IF il is false. the country ought to
know it. in order 10 allay the popular
excitement which this publication will
cause.
81 have been careful TO say as 20
other information IF not incompatible
with the public interest don't want
10 embarrass the President; far from
It,. ] am sorry any objection should
have been made to the resolution
Danger of War Action
Senator Norris wanted TO have the
resolution referred, with instructions
10 report tomorrow, but Senator stone
objected 20 any instructions. senator
Smith, of Georgia, pointed out that II
the President, at his own motion, we're
to send those papers into the Senate
without comment, il would mean that
he could do nothing automatically, and
would be practically request for a
declaration Of wal Senator Lodge
agreed with him.
The resolution was then referred TO
the committee, which, after a brief
executive session, reported back the
following:
"Rcsolved. That the President be re-
quested TO inform the Senate, If not in
compatible with the public interest.
whether the note signed Zimmerman.
published IN the newspapers Of the
morning Of March l.. inviting Mexico to
unite with Germany and Japan in wa
against the United States, is, IN his
opinion. authentic and is i'm the posses
ION OF the government Of the United
States; and If, i'm his opinion authen-
tic 10 send 10 the Senate any further
information in the possession Of the
government Of the United States rcla-
tive TO any activities Of the Imperial
{ German Government affecting the in
teruatiOnal relations o. the United
States"
Stone Makes Amendment
The Senate committees action was
not unan nous on the resolution as
finally framed. Chairman Stone prompt
ly offered an amendment 20 add these
words:
and also TO inform the Senate a. TO
whether the information in his posses
sion respecting the letter signed 'Iim-
hermann originated with any govern
ment or the official Of any government
engaged IN the present war, and II so
+ TO inform the Senate Of the facts
Reading the newspaper accounts o.
the sources Of information they had
said Senator Stone. "the inference is
inevitable that the Zimmerman letter
was obtained from the executive Off
IL : MT Il h
ished for some purpose. ! can not and
will not undertake TO say what that
purpose was further than to express
the opinion that it was given publica-
ton to affect public opinion, or official
opinion, or both, in the United States"
Hitchcock Defends President
Senator Hitchcock. speaking for the
committee, declared that 10 ask the
Presidents opinion and then cross-eX-.
anime him, a. the Stone amendment
proposed, would be an afront.
Senator Hitchcock read from the
Pres dents last address to Congress,
expressing his desire TO keep out Of the
European conflict, TO show that he was
averse to any step that Will lead the
country unnecessarily TO war.
THE material fact to US and this
country is whether some one who is in
/ terested in getting us into war has
given the note to u.s. said Senator
. Hardwick.
"Not at this stage" replied Senator
Hitchcock "lf we were 10 decide for
peace or war IL might be, but we arc
not"
Senator Williams urged cool and
dispassionate" reconsideration. 81 wouldn't
f have introduced this resolution" he
said. III we are 20 have trouble with
Germany IL viii not be because Of any