The weekly soliphone., 1917-04-05
PRESIDENT ASKS
 WAR DECLARATION

Washington, April 3.-President Wilson last night asked congress to declare state of war existing be- tween the United States and Ger many.
 While the news of the submarin- ing of the steamer Aztec-the first the war ZOne-was being told from mouth to mouth in the capitol, the president, appearing before house and senate in joint session, asked congress to recognize and deal with Germany's warfare on America.
 The president said war with Ger many would involve practical coop eration with the governments now at war with Germany, including liberal financial credits. The pres ident urged the organization of an army of at least 50O,000 men, chos- en "upon the principle of universal liability to service"
 The president made it clear that no action was being taken against the Austrian government and the other nations allied with Germany.
 President Wilson spoke as fol- lows:
 'I have called the congress into extraordinary session because there are serious, very serious choices of policy to be made, and made imme- diately, which it was neither right nor constitutionally permissible that l should assume the responsibility of making.
 "On the third of February last l officially laid before you the ex- traordinary announcement of the imperial German government that on and after the first day of Febru ary it was it's purpose to put aside all restraints of law or of humanity and use its submarines to sink ev- cry vessel that sought to approach either the. ports of Great Britain and Ireland or the western coasts of Europe or any of the ports con trolled 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 imperial government had somewhat restrained the command CTS of its undersea craft in con fofmity with it's promise then given to us that passenger boats should not be sunk and that due warning would be given to all other vessels which its submarines might seek to destroy, when no resistance was of fered or escape attempted, and care taken that their crews were given at least a fair chance to save their lives in their open boats.
 "The precautions taken were mea- ger and haphazard enough as was proved in distressing instance after instance in the progress of the cruel and unmanly business, but a cer- tain degree of restraint was observ- ed.
 '"The new policy has swept every restriction aside. Vessels of every kind. whatever their flag, their character, their cargo, their destina tion, their errand, have been ruth lessly' 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 belligercnts. Even hospital ships and ships car rying relief to the sorely bereaved and stricken people of Belgium, though the latter were provided with safe conduct through the pro scribed areas by the German gov ernmeht itself and were distinguish ed by unmistakable marks of iden- tity, have been sunk with the same reckless lack of compassion or of principle.
 'T was for a little while unable to believe that such things would in fact be done by any government that had hitherto subscribed to the humane practices of civilized na- tions. International law had its or igin in the attempt to set up some law which would be respected and observed upon the seas, where no nation had right of dominion and where lay the free highways of the world.
 GERMANS MAKING WAR ON
 MANKIND.
 "By painful stage after stage has that law been built up with meager enough results, indeed, after all was accomplished that could be ac- complished, but always with clear view, at least of what the heart and conscience of mankind demanded. This minimum of right the German government has swept aside under the plea of retaliation and necessi- ty and because it had no weapons which it could use at sea except those which it is impossible to em-
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