The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1917-04-06
RECITES WRONGS BY GERMANY
AGAINST THE UNITED STATES
AND ASKS STATE OF WAR
DECLARATION.
ASKS ARMY OF 100000
AND UNIVERSAL SERVICE
Makes II Clear That Proposed Action
Is Not Directed at Austria, Bull
garIa or Turkey-Urges Ade-
quate Credits to Allied
BelIigerents.


war message to congress follows:
Gentlemen of the Congress:
II have called the congress into
extraordinary session because there
are serious, very serious choices of
policy to be made, and made immed-
lately, which it was neither right nor
constitutionally permissible that /
should assume the responsibility of
making.
"On the third of February last, l
officially laid before you the extra
ordinary announcement of the impe-
rial German government that on and
after the first day of February it was
its purpose to put aside all restraints
of law or of humanity and use its
submarines to sink every vessel that
sought to approach either the ports
of Great Britain and Ireland or the
western coasts of Europe or any Of
the ports controlled by the enemies
of Germany within the Mediterrane-
an.
THAT had seemed to be the object
of the German warfare earlier in the
imperial German government had
somewhat restrained the commanders
of it's undersea craft in conformity
with promises 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 SUBJ
marines might seek to destroy, when
;efo off
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 meag-
er and haphazard enough, as was
proved in distressing instance after in
stance in the progress of the cruel
and unmanly business, but a certain
degree of restraint was observed. The
new policy has swept every restriction
aside.
Vessels RuthIessIy Sunk.
Vessels of every kind, whatever
their flag, their character, their car
go, their destination, their errand,
have been ruthlessly sent to the bot
tom without warning and without
thought of help or mercy for those
on board, the vessels of friendly neu-
trails along with those of belligerents.
Even hospital ships and ships car
rying relief to the sorely bereaved and
stricken people of Belgium, though
the latter were provided with safe con-
duct 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 Of principle.
81 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
practices of civilized nations. In
ternational law had it's origin in the
attempt to set up some law which
would be respected and observed up
on the seas where no nation had
right of dominion and where lay the
free highways of the world. BY pain
full stage after stage has that law
been built up with meager enough re-
suits, indeed after all was accomplish
ed that could be accomplished, but
always with clear view, at least, of
what the heart and conscience of
mankind demanded.
Right Is Swept Aside.
'This minimum of right the Ger
man government has swept aside I'M
der the plea of retaliation and neces-
fu hod
which 1t could use at sea except
those which it is impossible to en-
ploy as it is employing them without
throwing to the winds all scruples of
humanity or of respect for the under
standings that were supposed to un-
derlie the intercourse of the world.
Lives Cannot Be Paid For.
81 am not now thinking of the loss
of property involved, immense and
serious as that is, but only of the wan
ton and wholesale destruction of the
lives of n-combatants, men, women,
and children, engaged in pursuits
which have always, even in the dark
est periods of modern history, been
deemed innocent and legitimate. Prop
erty can be paid for; the lives of
peaceful and innocent people cannot
be-
1.-THE present German submarine
warfare against commerce is a war
fare against mankind.
at is a war against all nations
American ships have been sunk,
American lives taken in ways which
Peace Offer Still Stands, Teutons Say.