The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1917-04-03

,
Our motive viii not be revenge or
the victorious assertion Of the physlc.
al might Of the nation, but only the
yindieation Of right, Of human right,
Of which We are only single cham.
pion.
When addressed the congress on
the 26th OF February last, thought
that It would suffice to assert our neu.
trail rights with arms, our right to
use the seas against unlawful inter.
ference, our right to keep our people
safe against unlawful violence. But
armed neutrality. 1t now appears, Is
impracticable. Because submarines
are in effect outlaws when used, as
the German submarines have been
used against merchant shipping, II is
impossible to defend ships against
their attacks, as the law OF nations
has assumed that merchantmen would
defend themselves against privateers
or cruisers, visible craft giving chase
upon the open sea. It is common
prudence In such circumstances, grim
necessity indeed. to endeavor to de.
st'oy them before they have shown
their own intention.
They must be dealt with upon
sight, If dealt with at all.
The German government denies the
right OF neutrals to use arms at all
within the areas of the sea which It
has prescribed, even in the defense of
rights which no modern publicist 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 is inef.
fectual enough at best; in such cir.
cumstances and in the face of such
pretensions 1t is worse than inef-
fectual: it is likely to produce
what It was meant to prevent. 1t is
practically certain to draw us into
the war without either the rights or
the effectiveness OF belligerents.
There is one choice we cannot make,
we are incapable of making: we will
not choose the path of submission
and suffer the most sacred rights of
our nation and our people to. be ig.
nored or violated. The wrongs against
which we now array ourselves are not
common wrongs; they cut TO the very
roots OF human life.
With a profound sense OF the
solemn and even the :ragicai char
acter of the step am taking and Of
the grave responsibilities which it in.
wolves, but in unhesitating obedience
to what | deem my constitutional
duty, advise that the congress de.
clare the recent course of the imperial
German government to be in fact
nothing less than war against the gov.
eminent and people of the United
| States, that it formally accept the
: status CT belligerent which has thus
been thrust upon it and that it take
immediate steps, not only TO put the
country in more thorough state OF
defense, but also to exert all its power
and employ all its resources to bring
the government of the German en-.
pire TO terms and end the war.
Would Loan to Entente Allies.
What this will involve is clear. Ii
will involve the utmost practicable
cooperation in counsel and action
with the governments now at war with
Germany, and, as incident TO that, the
extension 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 in
/ VolVe the organization and mobliza.
: zion OF all the material resources of
the country to supply the materials
! OF war and serve the incidental needs
! of the nation in the most abundant,
! and yet the most economical and eff
ficient way possible. 1t will involve
| the immediate full equipment OF the
navy in all respects, but particularly
+ in supplying it with the best means
of dealing with the enemy's subma,
rines. 1t will involve the immediate
/ addition to the armed forces of the
/ United States already provided for by
law in case of war. at least 100000
men, who should, in my opinion, De
chosen upon ths principle of universal
liability to service, and also the au.
thorization Of subsequent additional
increments of equal force so soon as
they may be needed and can be
I handled in training.
1t will involve also, of course, the
granting Of adequate credits to the
government, sustained, 1 hope, so far
as they can equitably be sustained by
the present generation, by well.con-
ceived taxation. say sustained so
far as may be equitable by taxation
because 1t seems to me that it would
be most unwise to base the credits
which will now be necessary entirely
on money borrowed. It is our duty,
most respectfully urge. to protect our
people so far as we may against the
very serious hardships and evils
which would be likely to arise out of
] the imitation which would be produced
by vast loans.
In carrying out the measures by
which these things are to be accom-.