Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1916-04-28
PRESIDENT Tells
CONGRESS ABOUT
HIS ULTlMATUM
Joint Session Hears of Action
That May Result in Broken
Relations.
GERMANY SHARPLY INDICTED
Mr.. Wilson Sets Forth Progress of
kaiser's Submarine Warfare, His
Futile Promises and the Final Ex
haustion of Americas Patience.


House of Representatives the Cap
itol, Washington, April 20.-Sharply
indicting Germany for its use of sub
marines against merchant vessels,
President Wilson yesterday. before
joint session of congress, issued pub
lie notice to the world that unless that
government changes it's methods the
United States will have no choice
but to sever diplomatic relations.
The history in the making" was
witnessed by one of the largest gath
erings that has ever been jammed into
the historic chamber of the house of
representatives. Every single inch
of available space was occupied, while
literally thousands were turned away
There was no questioning the seri-
BUSINESS of the presidents position.
His voice, somewhat husky, penetrated
every corner of the room, and the
message was emphasized with an ex-
preston that showed it's author was
fearful of the outcome That serious
ness was shared by the audience, the
usual applause given the presidents
utterances being absent.
The message in every sense was an
ultimatum. True, it contained no time
limit within which reply must be made.
But it fatty insisted that the German
submarine warfare has reached the
stage when this government will no
longer tolerate it.
The German explanations, previous
ly made, have been accepted in good
faith, the president said, in the hope
that that government would finally
be able to so order and control the acts
of it's naval commanders as to square
it's policy with the position of human
ity as embodied in the law Of ma
tons"
The United States had been willing
to wait, the president said. until the
significance of the facts became abso-
lutely unmistakable and susceptible
of but one Interpretation That point,
he said. has now unhappily been
reached"
Text of Presidents Address.
Following is the complete text OF
the presidents address:
Gentlemen of the Congress: A stu.
alton has arisen in the foreign rela
tions of the country of which it is my
plain duty to inform you very frankly
1T will be recalled that in Febru
ary, 1915, the imperial German govern
ment announced its Intention to treat
the waters surrounding Great Britain
and Ireland as embraced within the
seat of war and to destroy all mer
chant ships owned by its enemies thai
might be found within any part q
that portion of the high seas, and tha
it warned all vessels, OF neutral al
well as of belligerent ownership, tt
keep out of the waters It had thu
prescribed, or else enter them at thei
peril The government of the UniteC
States earnestly protested. It tool
the position that such a policy coult
not be pursued without the practica
certainty of gross and palpable viola
tions of the law of nations. particular
ly if submarine craft were to be en-
/ ployed as its instruments, inasmuch a
J the rules prescribed by that law, rule
founded upon principles of humanit
] and established for the protection G
the lives of noncombatants at Sc
) could not in the nature of the case b
} observed by such vessels. 1t base
! it's protest on the ground that person
a of neutral nationality and vessels {
, neutral ownership would be expose
to extreme and intolerable risks an
? that no right to close any part of tn
: high seas against their use OF to e,
! pose them to such risks could lawful
be asserted by any belligerent goverl
ment. The law of nations in thes
matters, upon which the governme1
of the United States based it's prote:
;, is not of recent origin or founded upu
merely arbitrary principles set up /
convention. 1t is based. on the CO.
trary, upon manifest and imperatiI
principles of humanity and has lor
been established with the approv
T and by the express assent of all civ
Il lized nations,
3 Protest Was Disregarded.
: Notwithstanding the earnest pr
. test of our government, the imperi
1 German government at once proceedt
> to carry out the policy it has a
= nounced. 1t expressed the hope tn
Il the dangers involved, at any rate Il
= dangers to neutral vessels, would
reduced to a minimum by the instru