UNITED STATES.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 February 1916, Page 5

UNITED STATES.

UNEXPECTED COURAGE. - FIKNMESS OF PRESIB3KT. - New York, Feb. 25. A sensation lias 'been caused by President Wilson's attitude." As the result "of German pressure Democratic members of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives have instructed their chairman, Mr. Flood, to notify President Wilson that they will' no longer support him in holding that Americana have the right to travel on board vessels armed contrary to the German definition. It is believed that Democrats in the Senate favor the President warning Americans taking passages on such vessels. Washington is seething with excitement, the news showing that GermanAmerican lobbying- has worked up the situation in which President Wilson is threatened with a revolt of his o,wn party in both Houses. There is a danger of the Democratic majorities yielding to Teutonic influences directed by Count Bernstorff. President Wilson is displaying unexpected courage and has notified Senator Stone, chairman o'f the Senate Committee of Foreign Relations, and Mr. Flood, chairman of the similar committee in the House of Representatives, that his patience over submarine matters with Germany is exhausted, and that he will no longer endure in silence the charges of timidity against the administration. Senator Stone is not anxious to break wjtli Mr. Wilson, but believes that German pressure forces him to lead the .Senate in the fight to secure the warning of Americans, in order to avoid further complications with Germany. "; : ; HONOR BEFORE PEACE. •" > "~ Washington, Feb. 25. An overwhelming majority in Congress is favorable to warning Americans to keep off belligerent ships, but President Wilson refuses to give way. He intends to assert the full rights of Americans against German contentions, declaring, "We covet peace, and shall preserve it at any cost save loss of honor."

PATTENCE EXHAUSTED. AMERICANS MUST HAVE THEIR EIGHTS. deceived Feb. 26, 5.5 p.m. New York, Feb. 25. President Wilson says: The' course which the Central Powers announced as their intention to follow in regard to' undersea warfare seems to threaten insuperable obstacles, but apparently it is so manifestly inconsistent with Germany's explicit assurances that I must believe, that explanations will reveal that there is no reason to question their fidelity to past promises. No nation or group of nations has the- right to alter or disregard the principles, t» which all nations agree, that tend to the mitigation of the herrors of war. If the rights of American citizens are ever unhappily abridged or denied we, in honor, have no choice as to what our course' will, be. Personally I will not consent to any abridgement of American citizens' rights in any respect. Fear to vindicate these would be deep humiliation and an abdication of our historic proud position as spokesman, even amidst the turmoil of war, lor law and right. If in this instance we allowed expediency to take the place of principle-, the door will inevitably be opened to further concessions; many other humiliations will certainly follow, and the fine fabric of international law will crumble to pieces. America cannot yield without conceding her own impotency as a nation, and virtually surrendering her independencv among the nations of the werld."

A BERLIN-HATCHED PLOT. ; NEWSPAPER OPINION. Received Feb. 27, 5.5 p.m. New Tork, Feb. 2d. The Providence Journal publishes a statement that the present crisis relative to armed merchantmen is the result of a plot hatched at Berlin as the outcome of munition shipments from the United States. Meanwhile, Germany will attempt to sink every vessel sbe is able to reach on the false contention that all were armed on the high seas after leaving American ports.