River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1917-11-08

use as the German submarines have
been used against merchant shipping,
it is impossible to defend ships against
their attacks, as the law of nations has
assumed that merchantmen would de-
fend themselves against prfvatee<s
cruisers, visible craft sgiving chase up
on the open sea. It is common pru-
dence in such circumstances, grim nee
essity indeed, to endeavQr to destroy
them before they have shown their own
intention. They must be dealt with up
on sight, IL dealt with at all.
The German government denieS the
right OF neutralS to use arms at all
within the areas OF the sea which 1T
has prescribed even in the defense of
rights which no modern publicist has
ever before questioned their right to
DEFEND. The intimation is conveyed that
the armed guards which we have
placed on our merchant ships will be
treated as beyond the pale of law and
subject to be dealt with as pirates
would be. Armed neutrality is fneffec-
tuaI enough at best, I'm such circum-
stances and I'm the face of such preten-
siOns 1T is worse than Intellectual; 1T is
likely only to produce what 1T was
meant to prevent; TT is practically GER
tain to draw us into war without either
the rights or the effectiveness of the bel
ligerents. There is one choice we can
not make, we are incapable of making:
sion and suffer the most sacred rights
Of our nation and our people to be ig-
nored or violated The wrongs against
which we now array ourselves are no
common wrongs; they cut to the very
roots of human life.
With a profound sense of the solemn
and even tragfcal character Of the step
I am taking and of the grave RESPONSE
bilities which 1T involves, but in I'M
heSitating obedience to what 1 deem
my constitutional duty, I advise that
the congress declare the reSont course
of the Imperial German government to
be in fact nothing less than war
against the government and people of
the United States; that it formally ac-
cept the status of belligerent which has
thus been thrust upon 1t; and that 1T
take immediate steps not only to put
the country in a more thorough state
of defense, but also to exert all its
power and employ all it's resources to
bring the government of the German
empire to terms and end the war.
What this will involve is clear. 1t
will involve the utmost practicable CO.
operation in counsel and action with
the governments now at war with Ger
many, and as incident to that the ex-
tension to those governments of the
most liberal financial credits, in order
that our resources may so far as pos
sib1e be added to theirs.
It will involve the organization and
mobilization of all the material re-
sources Of the country to supply the
materials of war and serve the Incl
dental needs of the nation in the most
abundant and yet the most economical
and efficient way possible.
1t will involve the immediate full
equipment of the navy in all respects,
but particularly in supplying it with
the best. means Of dealing with the enc
mys submarines.
It will involve the immediate addi-
ton to the armed forces of the United
States, already provided for by law in
case Of war, of at least 5000 men,
who should, in my opinion, be chosen
upon the principle Of universal liabi1-
ity to service, and also the authorize
ton of subsequent additional incre-
ments Of equal force so soon as they
may be needed and can be handled in
training.
1t Will involve also, Of course, the
granting Of adequate credits to the
government, sustained, I hope, so far
as they can equitably be sustained by
the present generation, by we1I-cOn-
ceived taxation.
say sustained SO far as may be
equitable by taxation, because 1T seems
to me that 1T would be most unwise to
base the credits, which will now be
necessary, entirely ON money borrowed.
1t is our duty, most respectfully urge,
to protect our people, so far as we
may, against the very serious hard
ships and evils which would be likely
to arise out of the imitation which would
be produced by vast loans.
In carrying out the measures by
which these things are to be accom-
pIished we should keep constantly I'm
mind the wisdom of interfering as lit
tie as possible I'm our own preparation
and In the equipment of our own mill
tary forces with the duty-fOr 1T will
{ be a very practical duty-Of supplying
the nations already at war with Ger
many with the materials which they
can obtain only from us or by our as
sistance. They are I'm the field, and we
should help them I'm every way to be
effective there.
shall take the liberty Of suggest
ing, through the several executive de-
partments Of the government, for the
consideration of your committees,
measures for the accomplishment OF
the several objects i have mentioned.
L hope that 1t will be your pleasure to
deal with them as having been framed
after very careful thought by the
branch OF the government upon whom
the responsibility of conducting the
war and safeguarding the nation Will
most directly fall.
While we do these things, these deep
clear. and make very clear to all the
world, what our motives and our OBJ
jects are. My own thought has not
been driven from it's habituaI and nor
NAL course by the unhappy events OF
the last two months, and do not be-
Iieve that the thought of the nation
has been altered or clOuded by them. l
have exactly the same things in mind
now that L had in mind when adj
dressed the senate on the 22d of Janu-
AIRY last; the same that had In mind
when L addressed congress ON the Sd OF
February and ON the 26th of February.
Our object now, then, is to vindicate
the principles OF peace and Justice In
the life of the world against selfish
and autOcratic power, and to set up
among the really free and self-gOv-
erned peoples of the world such a con-
cert of purpose and of action as will
henceforth insure the observance of
those principles.
Neutrality Is NO longer feasible or
desirable where's the peace of the world
IL involved and the freedom of Its peo-
pIes and the menace to that peace and
freedom lies In the existence of auto