The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1917-02-28
ASKS CONGRESS
FOR POWER To
USE j. s. FORCES
President Wilson in Address Be-
fore Congress Advocates
ARMED Neutrality"
TO ARM MERCHANT VESSELS
Requests Authority to Enable Him TO
Provide Adequate Means of Protec-
ton Where They Now Are Lack
ing-Overt Acts only Can
Bring War.

Washington, Feb. 27.-In an address
before a joint session of congress
yesterday President Wilson asked that
he be given authority to arm Ameri-
can merchant vessels. He declared
that all that is left now is to adopt
an attitude Of armed neutrality, but
that war can come only by the will
full acts and aggressions of others"
The presidents address was as fol-
lows:
Gentlemen Of the Congress:
Il have again asked the privilege of
addressing you because we are moving
through critical times during which it
seems to me to be my duty to keep in
close touch with the houses of con-
gress, so that neither counsel nor ac-
ton shall run at cross purposes be-
tween us.
On the third Of February l officially
informed you of the sudden and I'M
expected action of the imperial Ger
man government in declaring it's in
tention to disregard the promises it
had made to this government In April
last and undertake immediate sUbma-
rine operations against all commerce,
whether belligerents or neutrals, that
should seek to approach Great Britain
and ireland, the Atlantic coasts of Eu-
rope, or the harbOrS of the eastern
Mediterranean, and TO conduct those
operations without regard to the es-
tablished restrictions Of international
practice, without regard to any con-
sideratiOns Of humanity even which
might interfere with their object. That
policy was forthwith put into practice.
1t has now been in active execution
for nearly four weeks.
Results Not Yet Disclosed.
It's practical results are not yet fully
disclosed. The commerce of other neu-
trail nations is suffering severely, but
not. perhaps, very much more severely
than 1t was already suffering before
the first of February, when the new
policy of the imperial government was
put into operation. We have asked
the cooperation of the other neutral
governments TO prevent these depre-
dations, but so far none of them has
thought it wise to join US in any COM
mon course of action.
"Our own commerce has suffered, is
suffering, rather in apprehension than
In fact, rather because so many of our
ships are timidly keeping to their
home ports than because American
ships have sunk.
1.-TWO American vessels have been
sunk, the HOusatonic and the Lyman
III. Law.
1.-THE case of the HOusatonic, which
was carrying fOodStuffs to a London
firm, was essentially like the case of
the Frye, in which, it will be recalled,
the German government admitted its
liability for damages, and the lives of
the crew, as in the case of the Frye,
was safeguarded with reasonable care.
"The case of the Law, which was
carrying lemon box slaves TO Palermo,
disclosed a ruthlessness of method
which deserves grave condemnation,
but was accompanied by no circum-
stances which might not have been ex-
pected at any time in connection with
the use of the submarine against mer-
chantmen as the German government
has used it.
Situation Is the Same.
In summing up, therefore, the situa-
ton we find ourselves in with regard
TO the actual conduct of the German
submarine warfare against commerce
and its effects upon our own ships and
people is substantially the same. that
1t was when | addressed you on the
third of February, except for the ty-
ing up Of our shipping In our own
ports because of the unwillingness of
our shipownerS to risk their vessels at
sea without insurance or adequate pro-
lection, and the very serious conges-
ton of our commerce which has result
ed, q congestion which is growing rap
idly more and more serious every day.
This in itself might presently &C
complish, in effect, what the new Ger
man submarine orders were meant to
accomplish, so far as we are con-
cerned.
I'VE can only say, therefore, that
the overt act which l have ventured
to hope the German commanders
would in fact avoid has not occurred.
But while this is happily true, it
must be admitted that there have been