New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1917-04-07
THE PRESIDENTS
WAR MESSAGE.

= always with a clear view, at least
. Of what the heart and conscience
r Of mankind demanded. This MN
| imum of right the German gov
eminent has swept aside Jude
| the plea of retaliation and neces
| slty and became it had no weep
, ons which it could Use at sea Elk
: cept these which it is impossible
to employ as it is employing then
without throwing to the winds
all scruples of humanity Or OF
respect for the understandings
that were supposed to underllt
the intercourse of the world.
q am not now thinking OF
the loss of property involved, i'm.
mense and serious as that is, but
only Of the wanton and wholesale
destruction Of the lives of non
combatants, men, women and chill
dren, engaged in pursuits 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 cannot be. The present
German submarine warfare
against commerce is a warfare
against mankind.
ct is a war against all nations.
American ships have been sunk,
American lives taken, in ways
, which it has stirred us very deep
ly to learn of. but the ships and
people Of other neutral and
friendly nations have 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 a
moderation Of counsel and
temperatures of Judgment be-
fitting our character and our mo-
tives as nation. We must put
excited feeling away. Our mo-
tive will not be revenge or the
victorious assertion Of the physi-
cal might of the nation, bu. OILY
the vindication of right, of human
right, of which we are oliy a
single champion.
Armed Neutrality No
Longer Practicable.
"When l addressed the Con-
gress on the 26th Of February lost
I thought that it would .uffi.e to
assert our neutral rights with
arms, our right to use the seas
against unlawful interference. our
right to keep our people safe
against unlawful violence. But !
neutrality, it now appears,
is impracticable. Because sub
marines are in effect outlaws when
used as the German submarines
have been used against merchant
shipping. it is impossible to de-
fend ships against their attacks
as the law Of nations has as
that merchantmen would
defend themselves against priva-
teers or cruisers, visible craft CIV
ing chase upon the open sea. 1t
is common prudence in such cir
grim necessity indeed,
to destroy them before they have
shown their own intention. They
must be deal with upon sight, if
dealth with at all.
"The German government de-
HES the right of neutrals to use
arms at all within the areas Of the
sea which it has prescribed, even
n the defense of rights which no
publicist has ever before
questioned their right to defend.
The intimation is conveyed that
he armed guards which we have {
placed on our merchant ships will
,e treated as beyond the pale of {
aw and subject to be dealt with
IS pirates would be. Armed neu-
rality is Intellectual enough at
'est; in such circumstances and E,
n the face of such pretensions it ,
$ worse than Intellectual; it is |
likely only to produce what it was q
meant to prevent; it is practically
ertain to draw us into the war t