The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1916-04-27
TEXT OF VIII SONS MESSAGE
baIUDEuT 1ULS CONGRESS that oIRNANY HAS VOL
AfRD RVIRY RuIB OF IRA WARYARI AID THAT HE1
q BOAT o04AAuDEkD 1UK vE12EIS OF ALL
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. That OoHIERcE
RAIDS ED on UuItID STATES WILL
0BVRR DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS.
Washington April 2OThe text of President Wilson's speech
the joint session of Congress Thursday follows:

tss luufSuAy IOllOWs:
1 eminent its solemn assurances that at
| least passenger ships would not be thus
dealt with. and yet il has again and
| again permitted its und.rsea command
ers to disregard those assurances with
entire impunity.
hesess ss sAe Ls.ltasis OsasaGs.
Great liners like the Lusitania and
the Arabic. and mere ferry boats like
| the Sussex, have been attacked with
out moments warming. sometimes
i. fore they had even become aware
that they were in the presence of an
armed vessel of the enemy. and the
lives of non -combatants, passengers
and crew have been sacrificed whole
| sale in manner which the govern
ment of the United States cannot but
regard AZ wanton and without the
! slightest color of justification.
No limit of any kind has In fact
been set to the indiscriminate pursuit
and destruction of merchantmen of al!
kinds and nationalities within the wa
ters, constantly extending in area.
ried on: and the roll of Americans
who have lost their lives on ships thus
attacked and destroyed has grown,
month by month. until the omnous
toll has mounted into the hundreds.
ssss-x Case Rivals Lssstssss.
one Of the latest and most shocking
instances of this method OF warfare
was that of the destruction of the
French cross-channel steamer Sussex.
II must stand forth az the sinking of
the steamer I-usitania did. so sing
ularly tragical and unjustifiable as to
constitute a truly terrible example OF
the inhumanity of submarine warfare
az the commanders of German vessels
have for the last twelve months been
conducting II.
II this incident stood alone some ex-
planation. some disavowal by the Ger
man government, some evidence OF
4 81 -
on the part of the commander of the
vessel that fired the torpedo might be
sought or entertained but. unhappily,
4. does not stand alone.
Recent events make the conclusion
inevitable that it is only one instance,
even though II be one of the most ex-
Spirit and method of warfare which
the imperial German government has
mistakenly adopted, and which from
the first exposed that government err to
rights aside in pursuit of its immedi-
ate object.
Unite6 states Has Hoped II yain.
The government of the United States
has been very patient. At every stage
of this distressing experience Of trag-
citizens were Involved. it has sought
tc be restrained from any extreme
course of action or of protest by .
thoughtful consideration of the extra
cedented war. and actuated in all that
i. said or did by the sentiments of
genuine friendship which the people Of
the United States always have enter
tanned and continue to entertain
toward the German nation.
1t has, of course, accepted the sue
cessive explanations and assurances of
the imperial German government as
given in entire sincerity and good
faith, and has hoped. even against
hope. that 1t would prove to be pos
ir,h h-
to order and control the acts OF Its
policy with the principles of humanity
sea has Seen I'm f Wiling to wsit until
the Significance Of the facts became
absolutely unmistakable and suscept-
ible of but one Interpretation. That
point has now unhappily been reached.
The facts are susceptible of but one
Interpretation.
The imperial German sovernment
or restraints upon its warfare against
either freight or passenger ships.
Deaands U-Boat Raids End.
1t has, therefore, become painfully
evident that the position which this
government took at the very outset is
submarines for the destruction of any
ehemys commerce is of necessity,
because Of the very character of the
vessels employed. and the very meth
DDS of attack which their employment.
of course. involves. Incompatible with
the principles of humanity, the long
of neutrals. and the sacred immunities
| OF non -cOmbatantS.
have deemed it my duty. there.
fore, to say to the imperial Ger:
man government that IL 1t Is still
its purpose to prosecute relentless
and indiscriminate warfare against
vessels of commerce by the use
Of submarines. Notwithstanding the
| n G nf
fare in accordance with what the gov .
ernment of the United States must
consider the sacred and indisputable
rules OF International law and the uni
vcrsally recognized dictates of human
ity, the government OF the United
states is at last forced to the conclu-
i. can pursue, and that unless the i'm
perial German government should now
Immediately declare and effect an
abandonment of its present methods of
warfare against passenger and freight
carrying vessels, this government can
have no choice but to sever diplomat
i, relations with the government of the
German empire altogether.
This decision ! have arrived at with
the keenest regret; the possibility of
the action contemplated. I am sure.
forward to with unaffected reluctance:
but We cannot forget that we are in
some sort and by the force of circum
stances the responsible spokesman of
cannot remain silent while those
rights seem in process of being swept
utterly away in the mRlstrom of this
terrible war.
We owe 1t to due regard for our
own rights as nation, to our sense
of duty as a representative of the
rights of neutrals the world over, and
to just conception of the rights of
mankind. to take this stand now. with
the utmost solemnity and firmness.
I have taken it, and taken it In the
Ifx.t q N ,nnf h
approval and support. All obedient
men must unite in hoping that the i'm
pcrial German government, which has
III their circumstances stood as the
champion of all that we are now con-
| tending for in the interest of human
ity, may recognize the Justice of our
| demands and meet them in the spirit
Yin which they are made.