The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1917-03-06

Chairman Stone, voted down by
his committee, carried to the floor
the fight to learn how the note came
into the governments possession. he
| insisted that if any of the nations al
war had furnished it the senate and
the country should know it and pro-
posed an amendment embodying the
question
HOke Smith Takes Hand.
During the long debate Senator
Hoke Smith made a suggestion the
Importance of which was promptly
recognized and which served to over
come the doubts of many senators as
to the propriety of questioning the
president in regard to so grave mat
ter on which he had not seen fit 10
communicate voluntarily. The Geos-
gia senator pointed out that for the
executive on his own initiative to send
such a document as the zimmerman
note might be construed as re-
quest for action, whereas he prob
ably would be gratifed to have IT IN
the senates hands at its own re-
! quest. The senator offered the fol-
| lowing as. a substitute for the resolu-
| ton and amendment:
"Resolved, That the president be re-
quested to furnish to the senate what
j ever information he had concerning
the note published in the press of this
| date purporting to have been sent
January 19, 1917, by the German for
! eign secretary to the German amDas-
sador to Mexico which in his opinion
is not incompatible with the public
| interest"
/ Senator Hitchcock, speaking for the
committee, declared that to ask the
presidents opinion and then cross ex-
anime him as the Stone amendment
| proposed would be an afront.
He read from the presidents last
address to congress expressing his de-
sire to keep out of the European con-
| fict to show, that he was averse to
any step that will lead the country
unnecessarily to war
''This solemn statement of the pres
ident," said Senator Hitchcock, "was
made to us only few days ago and
I feel justified in saying it was made
after the note now in controversy
came to the attention of the pres
ident"
eff it is true that this note came
from one of the belligerents, should
not that fact be called to the atten-
ton of the country?" asked Senator
Hardwick.
NO. Senator Hitchcock answered.
81 simply think We ought to ask the
president for a definite statement OF
his opinion regarding it's authentici-
ty.''
"But the material fact to US and
this country is whether some one
who is interested in getting US into
war has given the note to US" insist
ed Senator Hardwick.
"Not at this stage" replied Sena-
tor Hitchcock. ''If We were to decide
for peace or war it might be but We
are not"
Left to President.
To an assertion by Senator Hard
wick that the public mind has become
iniamed by publication of the note,
Senator Hitchcock said:
eff the president feels that the pub
lie mind is not to be inf1amed he
will take the proper steps in send
ing the senate his information to re-
duce it."
Senator Kirby read newspaper
story that the administration was
convinced publication of the note
would influence congress to pass the
armed neutrality bill.
"This newspaper statement IS mo-
verified" said Senator Hitchcock
s"There may come a time when it
might be desirable to investigate this
note further, but now the people want
to know only if it is authentic"
Senator Williams urged "cool and
dispassionate' consideration. "If the
Zimmerman letter is authentic" he
said, cit must have come from the
German embassy in some of those de-
| vious ways governments have of OBJ
tanning information. The question
here is that lis the letter authentic?'
instrumentality whereby the United
States got possession of the letter
does not bear in the remotest degree
on its authenticity or it's existence.
| There will be no trouble because of
this letter alone. The letter IS only
one of a chain of circumstances to
demonstrate at least that Germany is
careless about whether she goes to
war with u.s.
Senator Williams said he was op-
posed to the Stone amendment as
was the rest of the committee.
Senator Lodge, author of the reso-
luton, said if the story of the zim-
mermann note was untrue it ought to
be stamped as untrue at once"
One Person Knows.
"The president of the United
States" he said, "is the one person
who can give US decisive answer
on that question. I think We should
not inquire into the source of his in
formation a's
Senator O'Gorman inquired what