The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1917-04-06

their attacks, as the law of nations
has assumed that merchantmen would
defend themselves against privateers
or cruisers, visible craft giving chase
upon the open sea. 1t is common pru-
dence in such circumstances, grim ne
cessity, indeed, to endeavor to de-
stroy them before they have shown
their own intention. They must be
dealt with upon sight, if dealt with
at all.
Denies Neutral Rights.
The German Government denies the
right of neutrals to use arms at all
within the areas of the sea which it
has prescribed, even in the defense of
rights which no modern publicist ev-
er before has 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 inef-
fectual enough at best; in such cir
cumstances and in the face of such
pretensions, it is worse than ineffec-
tual; it is likely once to produce what
it was meant to prevent; it is prac-
tically certain to draw US into war
without either the rights or the eff
fectiveness of belligerents.
There is one choice we cannot make,
we are incapable of making. We will
not choose the path of submission
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
not common wrongs; they cut to the
very roots of human life.
With a profound sense of the SOL
emn and even tragical character of
the step l am taking, and of the grave
responsibilities, which it involves,
but in unhesitating obedience to what
deem my constitutional duty, ad-
wise that the Congress declare the re-
cent course of the German Imperial
Government to be in fact nothing less
than war against the Government and
people of the United States; that il
formally accept the status of belhg-
ent, which has thus been thrust upon
it, and that il take immediate steps
not N0nlyatO put the country in more
thorough state of defense, but also
to exert all its power and employ all
its resuOrces 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 !
cooperation in counsel and action
with the Governments now at war
with Germany, and, as incident to that,
the extension to those Governments
of the most liberal financial credits, |
in order that our resources may, so
far as possible, be added to theirs. 1t |
will involve the organization and mo-
bilization of all the material resourc-
es of the country to supply the ma
terials of war and serve the incidental |
needs of the nation in the most abund-
ant, and yet the most economical and
efficient way possible.
Ii 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
enemy's submarines. 1t will involve
the immediate addition TO the armed
forces of the United States already
provided by law in case of war, at
least 100000 men, who should, in my
opinion, be chosen upon the principle
of universal ability to service, and
also the authorization of subsequent
additional increments 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, | hope, so
far as they can equitably be sustained
by the present generation, by we'll
conceived taxation. / say sustained so
far as may be equitable by taxation,
because it seems to me that it 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 hardships and evils which
would be likely to arise out of the in
aation which would be produced by
vast loans.
In carrying out the measures by
which these things are to be accom-
Dlished we should keep constantly in
mind the wisdom of interfering as
title as possible in our own prepara-
ion and in the equipment of our own
forces with the duty--for it
will be very practical duty-of sup
plying the nations already at war
With Germany with the materials
which they can obtain only from us or ,
~ our assistance. They are in the !
ield and we should help them in ev- ,
'ry way to be effective there. l shall ,
axe the liberty of suggesting, through I
he several executive departments of /,
he Government, for the consideration ,
# your committees, measures for the ]
of the several OBJ !
ects | have mentioned. / hope that .
t will be your pleasure to deal with ]
hem as having been framed after :
cry careful thought by the branch of
he Government upon which the re-
possibility of conducting the war :
md safeguarding the nation will most
irectly fall. /,
X Keeps Purpose Clear. Ii
While we do these things, these :
laoplxy Tsna1,,antr.rci +ks..oe - -. Al