The Raymer enterprise., 1916-04-27
Washington April 20The text of President Wilson speech
before the joint session of Congress Thursday follows:

L u
| dealt with; and yet IL has again and
again permitted its undersea command
! ers TO disregard those assurances with
entire impunity.
Refer. to the Lusitania Outraxe.
Great liners like the LusItania and
| the Arabic, and mere ferry boats like
the Sussex, have been attacked with
| out moments warning, sometimes
before 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 as wanton and without the
! slightest color of Justification
No limit OF any kind has In fac,
been set to the indiscriminate pursuit
and destruction of merchantmen of all
kinds and nationalties within the wa
tsrs, constantly extending in area
| where these operations have been car
ried on. and the roll Of American.
who have lost their lives on ships thus
attacked and destroyed has grown
month by month, until the ominoui
toll has mounted into the hundreds.
SUSSEX Case Rivals Lasitania.
One of the latest and most shocking
instances OF this method of warfare
was that Of the destruction of ths
French cross-channel steamer Sussex
II must stand forth as the sinking OF
the steamer Lusitania did. as so sing.
ularly tragical and unjustifiable as to
constitute a truly terrible example oi
the inhumanity Of submarine warfare
az the commanders OF German vessels
have for the last twelve months been
conducting IL.
II this incident stood alone some ex.
PLANTATION, some disavowal by the Ger.
man government some evidence oil
criminal mistake or wilful dfsobedience
on the part of the commander of the
vessel that fired the torpedo might be
sought or entertained: but, unhappily
II does not stand alone.
Recent events make the conclusion
inevitable that 1t is only one instance
even though 1t be one of the most ex.
treme and distressing instances. of the
spirit and method of warfare which
the imperial German government has
mistakenly adopted. and which from
the first exposed that government tc
the reproach OF thrusting all neutral
rights aside In pursuit of its immedi.
ate object.
United States Has Hoped In vain.
The government of the United State.
has been very patient. At every stage
of this distressing experience OF trag-
edy after tragedy in which its own
citizens were involved, 1t has sought
tc be restrained from any extreme
course of action or of protest by q
thoughtful consideration of the extra.
ordinary circumstances of this unpre.
cedented war. and actuated in all that
l. said or did by the sentiments oi
genuine friendship which the people oi
the United States always have enter.
tained and continue to entertain
toward the German nation.
1t has, of course, accepted the sue
icesslve 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.
sible for the German government sc
to order and control the acts of Its
naval commanders as to square its
policy with the principles of humanity
as embodied in the law of nations.
II has been willing to wait unit
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 government
has not been able to put any limits
or restraints upon Its warfare against
either freight or passenger ships.
1t has therefore, become painfully
evident that the position which this
government took at the very outset 1.
inevitable; namely, that the use o
submarines for the destruction of any
ehemy's 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 will
the principles of humanity. the long
established and incontroyertible right.
of neutrals, and the sacred immunities
OF non -combatants.
I have deemed 1t my duty, there
fore, to say to the imperial Ger,
man government that If it is still
Its purpose to prosecute rtlentles:
and indiscriminate warfare against
vessels of commerce by the USE
of submarines, Notwithstanding tn.
in,possibility of conducting that war
fare in accordance with what the COY
ernment OF the United States mus
consider the sacred and indisputabl'
rules of international law and the uni
yersally recognized dictates of human
ity, the government of the United
States Is at last forced to the conclu
sion that there is but one course tha
1. can pursue, and that unless the i'm
perial German government should nov
Immediately declare and effect al
| VI ltS HHttHpus VI
warfare against passenger and freight
carrying vessels, this government car
have no choice but TO sever diplomat
i, relations with the government of tn,
German empire altogether.
This decision have arrived at with
the keenest regret; the possibility o
the action contemplated, ! am sure
all thoughtful Americans will lool
forward to with unaffected reluctance
but we cannot forget that we are II
sore sort and by the force of circum
stances the responsible spokesman o
the rights of humanity, and that W,
cannot remain silent while thos,
rights seem In process of being swep
utterly away in the malstrom Of thii
terrible war.
We owe 1t to due regard for oul
own rights as nation, to our sens
of duty as a representative OF th'
rights of neutrals the world over. AM
to a just conception of the rights o
mankind. to take this stand now, with
the utmost solemnity and firmness.
have taken II, and taken II In th'
confidence that II will meet with you
approval and support. All obeden
men must unite In hoping that the i'm
perial German government. which hal
In their circumstances stood as tn,
champion of all that we are now con
tending for in the interest of human
ity. may recognize the justice of ou
demands and meet them in the spri
lin which they are made.