El Nuevo mexicano., 1917-04-05
The President,s Address

The Presidents Address
President Wilson spoke as follows,
~ have called the congress intt
extraordinary session because there
are serious, very serious, choices Of
policy to be made and made imme
lately, which it was neither right MOI
constitutionally permissible that
should assume the responsibility Of
making. On the third Of February
last, / officially laid before you the
extraordinary announcement OF the
imperial German government that on
and after the first day of February il
was its purpose to put aside all re.
s~traints of law or of humanity and
use its submarines to sink every yes
sci that sought to approach either the
ports of Great Britain and Ireland OF
the western coast Of Europe or any
of the ports controlled by the enc.
mics of Germany within the Mediter'
ranean.
Cruel and Unmanly Warfare
"That had seemed to be the object
of German submarine warfare earlier
in the war, but since April of last
year the imperial government had
somewhat restrained the commanders
Of its undersea craft In conformity
with its promise then given to us that
passenger boats should not be sunk,
and that due warning would be given
to all other vessels which its subma-
rines might seek to destroy, when no
resistance was offered or escape at
tempted, 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 haphazard enough,
as was proved in distressing instance
after instance in the progress of the
cruel and unmanIy business, but a
certain degree of restraint. was OBJ.
served.
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
belligerents. Even hospital ships and
ships carrying relief to the .sorely
bereayed and stricken people of Bel
gium, though the latter were proyid'
ed with safe conduct through the pre-.
scribed areas by the German govern.
ment itself, and were distinguished
by unmistakable marks of identity,
have been sunk with the same reck'
less lack of compassion or principle
! was for a little while unable to be-
lieve 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 its 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 highways of the world. BY pain
full stage after stage has that law
been built UP with meagre enough re-
suits indeed after all was accom-.
plished that could be accomplished,
always with a clear view, OF
least Of what the heart and con
science of mankind demanded.
Necessity Knows No Law
This minimum OF rights the Ger
man government has swept aside ,un.
dor the plea Of necessity and because
it has no weapons which it could use
at sea Except what it is impossible
to employ against them without
throwing to the winds all scruples OF
humanitySor of respect for the under
standings that were supposed to IN