Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1917-04-06
Urges Congress to
Engage in War.
BERLIN IS TO BLAME
President Asks for Half Million
Men for Army at Once.

vened in extra session, said in part:
con the third of February, last,
officially laid before you the extraor-
binary announcement of the imperial
German government that on and after
the first day Of February it was it's
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 west
ern coasts of Europe or any Of the
ports controlled by the enemies of
Germany within the Mediterranean.
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 car
rying relief to the sorely bereaved and
stricken people of Belgium, though the
latter were provided with safe con-
duct through the prescribed areas by
the German government itself and
were distinguished by unmistakab1e
marks of identity, have been sunk with
the same reckless lack of compassion
or principle
Warfare Against Mankind.
THE present German submarine war
fare against commerce is warfare
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 neutral and friendly
nations have been sunk and over
whelmed in the waters in the same
way There has been no discrimina-
ton. The challenge is to all mankind.
With a profound sense of the SOL
emn and even tragical character of
the step am taking and of the grave
responsibilities which it involves, but
in unhesitating obedience to what
deem my constitutional duty, l advise
that the congress declare the recent
course of the imperial German govern
ment to be in fact nothing less than
war against the government and peo-
pie of the United States; that it for
mally accept the status Of belliger-
ent which has thus been thrust upon
it and that it take immediate steps not
only to put the country in a more
thorough state Of Defense but also to
exert all it's powers 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. It
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 pos
sible, be added to theirs
Nations Resources Are Needed.
1T 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
'It 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 ad-
dition to the armed forces of the Unit
ed States already provided for by law
in case of war, at least 100000 men,
who should, in my opinion, be chosen
upon the principle of universal liza
bility to service, and also the authori-
cation of subsequent additional in
crements Of equal force as soon as
they may be needed and can be han
died in training.
ut 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 con
ceived taxation. say sustained SC
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.
eve have no quarrel with the Ger
man people We have no feeling to
wards them but one of sympathy anG
friendship. It was not upon their i'm
pulse that their government acted IL
entering this war. It was not with
their previous knowledge or approval
Scores German Spy System.
"Self-governed nations do not fill
their neighbor states with spies o.
set the course of intrigue to brins
about some critical posture of affairs
which will give them an opportunity Il