The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1917-11-09

their attacks, as the law OF nations has
assumed that merchantmen would de-
reno themselves against priyateers or
cruisers, visible craft giving chase up
ON the open sea. It is common prl-
dence IN such circumstances. grim nee
esslty indeed. to endeavor to destroy
them before they have shown their own
intention They must be dealt with up
ON sight, II dealt with mt all.
me German government denies the
right Of neutrals to use arms at ali
within the areas OF the sea which II
mas prescribed even in the defense OF
rights which no modern pubiicist has
ever before questioned their right to
defend. The intimation Is conveyed that
the armed guards which we have
placed on our merchant ships will be
treated as beyond the pale of law and
subject to be dealt with as pirates
would be. Armed neutrality IL inefTee-
tual enough at beSty in such cIreum-
stances and In the face of such preten-
slons 1t Is worse than Intellectual; IL f.
likely only to produce what # WAS
meant to prevent; IL II practically GER
tain to draw = into war without either
the rights or the effectiveness of the bell
| ngerents. There is one choice we can
not make, we are Incapable of makingi
| We VIII not choose the path of submits
sion and suffer the most sacred rights
| OF our nation and our people to be ig-
| nored or violated. The wrongs against
/
common wrOngsj they cut TO the very
| roots of human life.
| with a profound sense of the solemn
and even traRieaI character of the step
| 1 am taking and of the grave RESPONSE
| bilitIes which 1t involves, but in IN
| hesitating obedience to what l deem
| my constitutional duty I advise that
| the congress declare the recent course
| Of the Imperial German government to
| be in fact nothing less than war
| against the government and people of
| the United States; that II formally ac-
| eept the status of belligerent which has
thus been thrust upon 1t; and that it
! take immediate steps not only to put
| the country in more thorough state
/ OF defense. but also to exert all it's
| power and employ all its resources TO
| bring the government of the German
| empire to terms and end the war
What this win involve is clear. 1t
| will involve the utmost practicable CO.
| operation in counsel and action with
| the governments now at war with Ger
many, and as incident to that the ex-
| tension to those governments OF the
most liberal financial credits, in order
| that our resources may so far as pos
sible be added to theirs.
1t will involve the organization and
| mobilization OF all the material re-
! materials OF war and serve the incl
| dental needs Of the nation in the most
| abundant and yet the most economical
and efficient way possible.
It will involve the immediate full
| equipment of the navy in all respects,
| but particularly in supplying 1t with
| the best means Of dealing with the enc
| my's submarines.
1t will involve the immediate addi-
ton to the armed forces of the United
States. already provided for by law in
case OF war, of at least 100000 men.
TnTEz ~ IT,
upon the principle of universal liabil-
ity to service, and also the authorize
ton of subsequent additional incre-
ments OF equal force soon as they
may be needed and can be handled in
training.
1t will involve also, of course, this
granting of adequate credits to this
government, sustained, 1 hope, so fan
as they can equitably be sustained b!
the present generation, By weII-con
ceived taxation.
say sustained so far ms may b,
equitable by taxation, because IL Seems
, TO me that IL would be most unwise Il
base the credits, which will now b
necessary, entirely on money borrowed
II Is our duty. most respectfully urge
to protect our people. SO far as we
may, against the very serious hard
ships and evils which would be likely
to arise ont of the imitation which would
be produced by vast loans.
!
which these things are to he accom-
pIIShed we should keep constantly In
mind the wisdom of interfering rs lit
tie as possible I'm our own preparation
and I'm the equipment of our own mill
tary forces with the duty-fOr IL will
be a very practical duty-of supplying
the nations already at war with Ger
many with the materials which they
can obtain only from or by our as
sistance. They are in the field, and we
should help them in every way to be
effective there.
L shall take the liberty of suggest
ing, through the several executive de-
partments of the government, for the
consideration of your committees
measures for the accomplishment OF
the several objects l have mentioned
I hope that 1t will be your pleasure &c
, deal with them "a having been framed
! after very careful thought by the
branch of the government upon whom
the responsibility of conducting tbs
war and safeguarding the nation viii
, | most directly fall.
While we do these things, these deep
: " mOmentous things, let US be yer!
clear. and make very clear to all thu
world, what our motives and our OBJ
{ iects are. My own thought has no
been driven from its hnbituRl and nor
, NAL course by the unhappy events o
the last two months, and do not be
tieve that the thought of the natioI
! has been altered or ciOuded by them.
L have exactly the same things In min
u now that l had In mind when 1 ad
: dressed the senate on the 22d of Janu
= airy lasts the same that had In MINI
: when 1 addressed congress on the Sd o
= February and ON the 28th of February
our object now, then, is TO vindicat
: the principles of peace and Justice Il
! the life of the world as against selhsl
and autocrutic power, and TO set N
among the really free and self-EoF
erped peoples of the world such con
= cert of purpose and of action as vii
: henceforth insure the observance o
= those principles.
y Neutrality is no longer feasible o
desirable where the peace of the worl
ts involved and the freedom of Its PEG
= mics, and the menace to that peace an
). freedom lies In the existence OF auto
= cratic governments backed by ORGAN
y lied force which is controlled who'll
u NV their will. not by the will of thei
ueoDIe. We have seen the last OF neu
fraIIty in such circumstances. We mr.
at the beginning of an age in which
n viii be Insisted that the same stand