South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-04-19
+<4ere's Complete Text Of
President Wilson's Address
On Submarine Situation

Hin 0A - - q &4O4A
the imperial German government in
formed this government and the
other neutral governments Of the
world that it had reason TO believe
that the government Of Great Britain
had armed all merchant vessels OF
British ownership and had given
them secret orders to attack any
submarine of the enemy they might
encounter upon the seas. and that
the imperial German government
felt justified H. the circumstances in
treating all armed merchantmen OF
| belligerent ownership as auxiliary
vessels of war, which it would have
the right 10 destroy without warn
ing. The law of nations has long
recognized the right of merchantmen
TO carry arms for protection and
10 use them 10 repel attack, though
TO use them, in such circumstances.
at their own risk; but the imperial
German government claimed the
right 20 set these understandings
aside in circumstances which it
deemed extraordinary.
Even the terms in which it an
nounced its purpose thus still fur
Their to relax the restraints it had
previously professed its Willingness
and desires to put upon the opera
tons Of its submarines carried the
plain implication that at least YES
| sells which were not armed would
still be exempt from destruction
without warning and that personal
safety would be accorded their pas
| sengers and crews; but even that
] limitation, If it was ever practicable
I TO observe il, has in fact constituted
no check at all upon the destruction
Of ships of every sort.
Disregard Assurances.
Again and again the imperial
German government has given this
government it's solemn assurances
that at least passenger ships would
not be thus dealt with, and yet it has
again and again permitted its I'M
dersea commanders to disregard
those assurances with entire impu-
nifty. Great liners like the Lusitania
and the Arabic and mere ferry boats
| like the Sussex have been attacked
without a moments warning, some
times before they had even become
aware that they were in the pres
ence of an armed vessel OF the
enemy. and the lives OF non-com-
batants. passengers and crew, have
been sacrificed wholesale, in a man
l ~ a
I United States cannot but regard as
wanton and without the slightest
| color OF Justification. No limit Of
anv kind has in fact been set to the
indiscriminate pursuit and destruc-
ton OF merchantmen OF all kinds
and nationalities within the waters,
constantly extending in area, where
these operations have been carried
on. and the roll OF Americans who
have lost their lives on ships thus
attacked and destroyed, has grown
month by month until the ominous
toll has mounted into the hundreds.
Sussex Case Shocking.
lone OF the latest and most
shocking instances Of this method OF
warfare was that of the destruction
OF the French cross channel steamer
Sussex.
1t must stand fourth, e. the sink
ing Of the steamer Lusitania did. as
so singularly tragical and unjustiti-
able as 10 constitute a truly terri BILE
example OF the inhumanity OF sub
marine warfare as the commando rs
OF German vessels have for the past
- months been conducting il. If
this instance stood alone. some eX-
PLANTATION. some disavowal by the
German government. some evidence
Of criminal mistake OF wilful dis
obedience on the part of the COM
nander Of the vessel that fired the
torpedo might be sought or enter
tanned. but unhappily it does not
stand alone. Recent events make the
conclusion inevitable that IL is only
one instance. even though IL be one
of the most extreme and distressing
instances. of the spirit and method
OF warfare which the imperial Ger
man government has mistakenly
adopted. and which from the first
exposed that government 10 the re-
proach Of thrusting all neutral rights
aside in pursuit OF its immediate OBJ
iects.
L. :. Has Been Patient.
The government Of the United
States has been very patient. At
every stage OF this distressing ex-
Terience of tragedy after tragedy in
which its own citizens were in
volved il had sought TO be restrained
from any extreme course of action
or OF protest by a thou ghtful cOnsid-
Grafton Of the extraordinary circum.
stances Of this unprecedented war.
and actuated In all il said or did by
the sentiments OF genuine friendship
which the people OF the United
States have always entertained and
continue 10 entertain toward the
German nation. IL has. OF course.
accepted the successive explanations
and assurances of the imperial Ger
man government as given in entire
sincerity and good faith. and has
hoped, even against hope, that il