The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1917-04-06


claims of civilization and should be re-
garded as an outlaw by the enlght-
ened nations. The speech is strong
arraignment of the German govern
ment and is 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 it was neither right nor CON
stitutionally permissible that 1 should
assume the responsibility of making.
Had Promised Reform.
"On the 3rd of February last |
officially laid before you the extra
ordinary announcement of the i'm
perial German government that on and
after the 1st day of February it was
its purpose to put aside all restraints
of law or of humanity and use its sub
marines 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 Mediterranean.
That had seemed to be the object of
the 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-
ri,, irh -
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 in
stance, the progress of the cruel and
unmanly business, but certain de-
gree of restraint was observed. The
new policy has swept every restriction
aside. Vessels of every kind, what
ever their flag, their character, 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 hos
pital ships and ships carrying relief
to the sorely bereaved and stricken
people of Belgium, though the latter
were 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 of
principle.
Could Hardly Believe 1t.
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. Inter-
national law had it's origin in the at
tempt to set up some law which would
be respected and observed upon the
sea, 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 up
with meagre enough results indeed af-
ter all was accomplished that could be
accomplished, but always with a clear
view at least Of mankind demanded
This minimum Of right the German
government has swept aside under the
plea of retaliation and necessity and
because it had not weapons which it
could use at sea except those which it
is impossible to employ as it is en-
ploying them without throwing to the
winds all scruples of humanity or Of
respect for the understandings that
were supposed to underlie the inter
course of the world.
81 am not now thinking of the
loss of property involved, immense
and serious as that is, but only the
wanton and wholesale destruction OF
the lives of noncombatants, men, wo-
men and children, engaged in pur-
suits 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 can not
be. The present German submarine
warfare against commerce is a war
fare against mankind.
"It is a war against all nations.
American ships have been sunk,
American lives taken in ways which
it has stirred us very deeply to learn
of, but the ships and people of other
neutrals and friendly nations have
been sunk and overwhelmed in the
waters in the same way. There has
been no discrimination. The challenge
is to all mankind Each nation must
decide for itself how it will meet it.
The choice we make for ourselves
must be made with moderation of
counsel and a temperatures of judg-
ment befitting our character and our
motives as nation. We must put ex-
cited feeling away. Our motive will
no tbe revenge or the victorious asser-