The Green Forest tribune., 1917-11-09
PRESIDENTS WAR
 MESSAGE CARBLED
Full Text Withheld From People Of Germany by KaiSer'S
 Government.
PASSAGES WE'RE SUPPRESSED
Report of Wolff Telegraph Bureau, Unofficial Mouthpiece of Kaiser, Shows Wilson's Address
 Distorted.

address delivered by President Wilson before congress on April 9, 1917, in which the president called upon con gress to declare the existence of the state of war then being waged upon the United States by Germany. In the copies of this address which were per mitted to be published in Germany. many passages were suppressed. ac- cording to the committee on public information of the United States gov ernment. The passages suppressed in cluded those in which the president told why the United States had been forced to enter into the war against Germany in protection of it's rights and In order to make the world safe for democracy,
 The committee on public information has issued copy of the presidents address, showing the passages which were suppressed by the Wolff Tele- graph bureau, which is under govern ment censorship and has been consist entity employed by the German govern ment for the promulgation of it's off elal opinions. The following is an of hcial copy of the presidents address With the passages suppressed by the Wolff Telegraph bureau shown in bold faced type:
 Gentlemen of the Congress:
 l have called the congress into extra ordinary session because there are se- rtous. very serious. choices of policy to De made, and made immediately. which II IS neither right nor constftutionallv permissible that should assume the re- sponsibility of making.
 on the Ed of February last I officially laid before you the extraordinary an houncement of the Imperial German government that on and after the 1st day of February it was it's purpose to put aside all restraints of law or of hu- manlty and use it's 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 Medi- terranean. That had seemed to be the object of the German submarine war 1are earlier in the war. but since April Of last year the Imperial government had somewhat restrained the comman- ders of it's undersea craft in conform ity 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 it's s- marines might seek to destroy, when no resistance was offered or es- cape attempted, and care taken that their crews were given at Ieast fair chance to save their lives in their open boats. The precautions taken were menger and haphazard enough. as was tV, instance in the progress Of the cruel and unmanly business. but certain de- gree of restraint was observed.
 The new policy has swept every re striction aside. Vessels of every kind whatever their flag. their character their cargo. their destination. their erranti. have heen ruthIeSsly sent to the bottom without warning and with out thought of help or mercy for those on board the vessels of friendly ueu- tFa1s along with those of belueereuts Even hospital ships and ships carrying relief to the 9Orelv bereHVed and StricIS- en people of Belgium, thou"h the lat ter were provided with safe conduct through the prescribed areas by the German government itself and were iistiaEHished by unmistalnbIe marks af identity. have been sunk with the same reckless lack of compassion or of principle.
 was for little while unable t0 believe that such thin@N would in fact be done by any government that had hitherto subscribed to the humane practices Of civilized nations. Inter- national law had its origin in the att 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 E# L,-. with meaeer enough results. indeed. after all was accomplished that could be accomplished. but always with a clear view, at least. of whHt the heart and conscience of IAkind demanded.
 This minimum of right the German government has swept aside under the plea of retaliation and necessity and because it had no weapons which it could use at sea except these which 1t is impossible to employ as 1t is em- ploying them without throwing to the wind all scrupIes of humanity or of respect for the understandings that were supposed to underIie the inter- course ef the world
 I am not now thinking of the loss of property involved. immense and serious as that is. but only of the wan m and wholesale destruction of the lives of n-CombatantS. men. women and chill dren engaged in pursuits which have always, even in the darkest periods of modern history. been deemed innocent and legitimate. Property can be paid for; the lives of peaceful and innocent people cannot be. The present German submarine warfare against commerce is a warfare against mankind.
 It is war against all nations. Amer ican ships have been sunk, American lives taken. in ways which it has stirred us very deeply to learn Of, but the ships mad people of other neutral and friendly nations have been sunk