Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1917-04-13


congress on April 2. spoke as follows
81 have called the congress into ex-
traordinary session because there are
serious, very serious choices OF policy
to be made, and made Immediately
which 1t was neither right nor consti-
tutionally permissible that should as.
sumo the responsibility of making.
ION the Bird OF February last, / of
ficially laid before you the extraordi-
nary announcement Of the imperial
German government that on and after
the 1st day of February it was its pur-
pose 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 or Ireland, or the western
coasts of Europe or any of the ports
controlled by the enemies of Germany
within the Mediterranean. That has
seemed to be the object of the Ger
man submarine warfare earlier in the
war, but since April of last year the
imperial government had somewhat
restrained the commanders of its un-
dersea craft in conformity with its
promise then given to us that passen-
ger boats would 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 were
given at least a fair chance to save
their lives in their open boats. The
precautions taken were meager and
haphazard enough, as was proved In
distressing instance after instance In
the progress of the cruel and unmanly
business, but certain degree of re
straint was observed
"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 car
rying relief to the sorely bereaved and
stricken people Of Belgium, though
the latter we're 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 compassion
or principle.
- 81 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 nations. Inter
national law had it's origin in the at
tempt 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 high
ways of the world. BY painful stage
after stage has that law been built W
with meager enough results, indeed
after all was accomplished that coulc
be accomplished, but always with 8
clear view, at least, of what the heart
and conscience of the mankind de
manded.
Rights Swept Away.
"This minimum of right the Ger
man government has swept aside un
der the plea of retaliation and neces
sity, and because it had no weapons
which 1t could use at sea except these
which Il Is impossible to employ al
It is employing them without throwing
to the winds all scruples OF humanity
or of respect for the understanding
that we're supposed to underlie the In
tercourse of the world.
II am not now thinking of the Loss
of property involved, immense and Sc
rious as that is, but only OF the wan
ton and wholesale destruction OF the
lives of noncombatants, men, womer
and children, engaged in pursuits
which have always, even in the dark
est periods OF modern history, beer
deemed innocent and legitimate. Prop
erty can be paid for, the lives o
peaceful and innocent people canno
be.
1.-THE present German submarin,
warfare against commerce Is war
fare against mankind. 1t is a wa
against all nations. American shipI
have been sunk, American lives taken
In ways which ii has stirred us yer.
deeply to learn of, but the ships ant
people of other neutral and friendl!
nations have been sunk and over
whelmed in the waters in the SAM
way. There has been no discrimina
ton. The challenge Is to all mankind
Each nation must decide for itsel
how II will meet it. The choice WI
make for ourselves must be made will
a moderation of counsel and tenn
perateness of judgment befitting ou
character and our motives as ma
ton. We must put excited feeling
away. Our motive will not be re
yenge or the victorious assertion o
the physical might of the nation, blu
only the vindication of right, Of hu
man right, of which we are only