The Holly chieftain., 1916-04-28
Washington, April 20-The of President Wilson's speech
before the joint session of Congress Thursday follows:

before the joint session of Congr,
GENTLEMEN OF THE CONGRESS-:
A situation has arisen in the foreign
relations of the country, of which it is
my plain duty to inform you very
1t will be recalled that in February.
1915. the imperial German government
waters surrounding Great Britain and
Ireland as embraced within the seat
of war, and to destroy all merchant
| ships owned by it's enemies that might
be found within any part of that por-
tion of the high seas, and that it
warned all vessels of neutral, as well
as of belligerent ownership, to keep
out of the waters 1t had thus pro-
scribed or else enter them at their
peril.
Says Gross Abuses Are Certain.
The government of the United States
earnestly protested. 1t took the posi-
tion that such a policy could not be
pursued without the practical certain
the law of nations, particularly if sub
marine craft were to be employed as
| its instruments, inasmuch as the rules
| prescribed by that law. rules founded
upon principles of humanity and es-
| tablished for the protection of the lives
of on-combatants at sea, could not in
the nature of the case be observed by
| such vessels.
1t based its protest on the ground
| that persons of neutral nationality and
vessels of neutral ownership would be
exposed to extreme and intolerable
risks, and that no right to close any
part of the high seas against their use
| or to expose them to such risks, could
lawfully be asserted by any belliger-
| ent government.
The law of nations in these matters.
| upon which the government of the
United States based it's protest, is not
of recent origin, or founded upon
ralr hi tfr, t,nfy tns r.f hxy
convention. 1t is based, on the con-
| trary. upon manifest and imperative
| principles of humanity and has long
been established with the approval and
| by the express assent of all civilized
nations.
Germany Disregards All Protests.
Notwithstanding the earnest protest
of our government. the imperial Ger
| man government at once proceeded to
| carry out the policy it had announced.
| It expressed the hope that the dangers
| involved, at any rate the dangers to
| neutral vessels, would be reduced to a
minimum by the instructions which 1t
| had issued to its submarine command
United States that It would take ev-
| cry possible precaution both to respect
| the rights of neutrals. and to safe
guard the lives of non-combatants.
What has actually happened in the
year which has since elapsed, has
| shown that those hopes were not justi-
| fled, those assurances insusceptible OF
| being fulfilled.
In pursuance of the policy of sub
| marine warfare against the commerce
| of its adversaries, thus announced and
| entered upon by the imperial German
| government in spite of the solemn pro-
| test of this government, the command
| ers of German undersea vessels have
| attacked merchant ships with greater
tbs and as,yy mot Grest any
| ain and Ireland but wherever they
could encounter them. in way that
has grown more and more ruthless,
| months have gone by, less and less OBJ
| servant of restraints of any kind; and
| have delivered their attacks without
| compunction against vessels of every
nationality and bound upon every sort
| of errand.
Vessels Of neutral ownership, even
vessels of neutral ownership bound
from neutral port to neutral port have
| been destroyed, along with vessels of
belligerent ownership in constantly-in-
Sometimes the merchantmen attacked
has been warned and summoned to
surrender before being fired on or tor
have been vouchsafed the poor secur-
| ity of being allowed to take to the
ships boats before she was sent to
the bottom.
l
been given; no escape even to the
ships boats allowed to those on board.
What this government foresaW must
happen has happened, Tragedy has
| fashion, with such attendant circum-
stances, as to make it grossly evident
that warfare of such sort. II war
| fare 1t be. cannot be carried on with
out the most palpable violation of the
| dictates alike of right and humanity.
Whatever the disposition and inten-
| tion of the imperial German govern
ment. 1t has manifestly proved impos-
attack upon the commerce of its enc
mics within tho bounds set by either
tho reason or the heart of mankind.
In February of the present year. the
this government and the other neu-
tral governments of the world that 1t
| had reason to believe that tho gov
| ernment of Great Britain had armed
ship. and had given them secret or
ders to attack any submarine of the
| enemy they might encounter upon the
seas, and that the imperial German
cumstances in treating all merchant
men of belligerent ownership as aux
| iliary vessels Of war, which 1t would
have the right to destroy without
warning.
Germany Sets Aside Law OF Nations.
The law of nations has long recog-
nised the right of merchantmen to
carry arms for protection and to use
them to repel attacks, to use them in
such circumstances at their own risk;
but the imperial German government
standings aside under circumstances
which It deemed extraordinary.
Even tho terms in which It an.
nounced its purpose thu: still further
A., aIv nrofeased fts WilffnenoDu And de :