Bisbee daily review., 1917-04-03

President Wilson spoke as follows: T have called the congress into eX traordinary session because there are serious, very serious, choices of pol icy to be made, and made immediately which it was neither right nor consti tutionally permissible that I should assume the responsibility of making on the third of February last. I offic- ially laid before you the extraordinary announcement of the imperial govern ment that on and after the first day of February it was its purpose to put aside all restraints of law or of hu' manity 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 Eur. ope or any of the ports controlled by the enemies of Germany within the Mediterranean.
 Steps Leading to War
 That has seemed to be the object of German submarine warfare earlier in the war, but since April last year the imperial government had some what restrained the commanders of its undersea craft in conformity with its promise then given to us that pas senger 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 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 meagre and hsphazard enough, as was proved in distressing instance after instance in the progress of the cruel and unmanly business. but a certain degree of re- straint was observed
 Their Merciless Policy
 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 carrying relief to the sorely bereaved and stricken of Belgium, though the latter were provided with safe con. ducts thro ughthe prescribed areas by the German government itself. and d asc-las II marks of identity have been sunk with the same reckless lack of compassion or principle.
 Rights of Nations
 'I was for a little while unable tC believe that such things would in fac be done by any government that haC hitherto subscribed to the humane practices of civilized nations Inter national law had its origin in the at tempt to set-up some law, which would be respected and observed upon tht seas, where no nation had right of do minion and where lay the free high ways of the world. By painful stag after stage has that law been bull up with meagre enough results, in deed. after all was accomplished tha could be accomplished, but alway with a clear view, at least, of wha the heart and conscience of mankin, demanded.
 Last Right Challenged
 This minimum of right the German government has swept aside under tn plea of retaliation and necessity ant because it had no weapons which i could use at sea except these, whicl 1t is impossible to employ as it i employing them without throwing t the winds all scruples of humanity o of respect for the understandings tha were supposed 10 underlie the inter course of the world.
 T am not now thinking of the
 loss of property involved, im-
 mense and serious as this is, but
 only of the wanton and wholesale
 destruction of the lives of non
 combatants. men, women and chil-
 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.
 Unjust to Mankind
 The present German submarin, warfare against commerce is a wal fare against mankind. It is a wa against all nations. American ship have been sunk, American lives takel in ways which it has stirred us yer, deeply to learn of, but the ships an' people of other neutral and friendl, nations have been sunk and over whelmed in the waters in the sam,