The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1917-04-03

told from mouth TO mouth III II
before the House and Senate il
recognize and deal with Germa
He made it clear no action was being
taken against the Austrian government,
and the other nations allied with Ger
many.
The President said war with. Ger
many would involve practical coOpcra-
ton with the governments now at war
with Germany, including liberal finan-
cial credits. :.
The President urged the organization
Of an army of at least 100000 men,
chosen upon the principle Of universal
liability to service"
President Wilson spoke as follows:
II have called the Congress into
extraordinary session because there arc
serious, very serious. choices OF policy
to be made, and made Immediately,
while it was neither right nor cOnsti-
tutionally permissible that l should
assume the responsibility Of making.
PUT ASIDE RESTRAINTS
"On the third of February last, I
officially laid before you the extra
ordinary announcement Of the Imperial
German Government that on and after
the first day of February, it was it's
purpose to put aside all restraints Of
law or of humanity and use its sub
marines to sink every vessel that
sought to approach either the ports OF
Great Britain and Ireland or the west
ern coast Of Europe or any of the ports
controlled by the enemies Of Germany
within the Mediterranean. That had
seemed to be the object of the German
submarine warfare earlier in the war,
but since April OF last year, the I'm
perial Government had somewhat res
trained the commanders of it's under
sea craft in conformity with it's prom
ise then given to us that passenger
boats should not be sunk, and
that due warning would be given to.all
other vessels which it's submarines
might seek to destroy, when no, resist
ance was offered or escape attempted.
and care taken that their crews We're
given at least 4 fair chance to save
their lives in their open boats. The
precautions taken were meagre and
haphazard enough AS was proved in
distressing instance after instance in
the progress Of the cruel and unmanly
business. but a certain degree OF res
traint was observed.
SWEPT AWAY RESTRICTION
"The new policy has swept every
restriction aside. Vessels Of every
kind, whatever their flag, their char
acter, their cargo, their destination,
their errand, have been ruthlessly sent
to the bottom without warning and
without thought Of help or mercy for
those on board, the vessels of friendly
neutrals along with those of belliger-
ents. Even hospital ships and ships
carrying relief to the sorely bereaved
and stricken people of Belgium, though
the latter were provided with safe
conduct through the prescribed areas
by the German Government itself, and
were distinguished by unmistakable
marks of identity, have been sunk
with the same reckless lack Of COM
passion or principle. 2.
II was for little while unable to
believe that such things would in fact
be done by any government that had
hitherto subscribed to the humane prac-
tices of civilized nations. Internation-
al law had its origin in the attempt
to set up some law, which would be
respected and observed upon the seas
where no nations had right Of domin-
ion and where lay the free highways OF
the world. BY painful stage after
stage has that law been built up with
meagre enough results. indeed, after
all was accomplished that could be ac-
but always with clear
view, at least. of what the heart and
conscience of mankind demanded.
MINIMUM OF RIGHT.
'This minimum Of right, the Ger
nan government has swept aside, un-
Ter the plea of retaliation and necessity |
md because it had no weapons which
It could use at sea except these, which |
It is impossible to employ as it is en-
)lOying them without throwing to the
Winds all scruples of humanity or of |
respect for the understandings that |
we're supposed to underlie the inter-
,ourse of the world.
Il am not now thinking of the loss
# property involved, immense and
serious as that is, but only of the
yantOn and wholesale destruction of
he lives of nOn-cOmbatants, men, w0m-
N, and children, engaged in pursuits
which have always, even in the dark
st period of modern history, been
leemed innocent and legitimate. Pro
,erties can be paid for; the lives of
,eaceful and innocent people cannot
'e.
WARFARE AGAINST MANKIND.
''The present German submarine
warfare against commerce is a war
are against mankind. It is war
gainst all nations. American ships
ave been sunk, American lives taken,
n ways which have stirred us very
eeply to learn of. but the ships and
'eople Of other neutral and friendly
ations have been sunk and overwhelm-
d in the waters In the same way.
here has been no discrimination. The
hallenge is to all mankind. Each ma
ion must decide for itself how it will
meet it. The choice we make for our
elves must be made with a moderation
f counsel and temperatures of judg-
nent befitting our character, and our
motives as nation. We must put ex-
tied feeling away. Our motive will
lot be revenge or the victorious as
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