The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1917-03-02
PRESIDENT ASKS
POWER TO GUARD
RIGHTS OF U. S.
Declares Diplomatic Means Have
Failed to Safeguard Amer
lean interests.
fORCEDTOARMEDNEUTRALIT
Requests Congress to Grant Power to
Arm American Merchant Vessels
and to Use Armed Forces Of the
Nation to Defend Rights Of
United States Citizens.

Nation to Defend Rights of
United States Citizens.
Washington, Feb. 27.-President Will
son delivered an address before a joint
session OF congress yesterday. He de-
clared that diplomatic means had
failed to safeguard American interests
and that all that is left now is to
adopt an attitude of armed neutrality.
He specifically asked that he be given
authority to arm American merchant
vessels.
The presidents address was as fol-
lows:
Gentlemen of the Congress:
l 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 I officially
Soo VI liz uuuCh dllu u
pected action of the imperial German
government in declaring it's intention
to disregard the promises it had made
to this government in April last and
undertake immediate submarine opera
tons against all commerce, whether
belligerents or n%eutrals, that should
seek to approach Great Britain and Ire
land, the Atlantic coasts of Europe, or
the harbOrs of the eastern Mediterra-
mean, and to conduct those operations
without regard to the established re-
StrictiOns of international practice,
without regard to any considerations
of humanity ever which might inter-
fere with their object. That policy was
forthwith put into practice. 1t has
now been in active execution for near
ly four weeks.
All Commerce Suffering.
ats practical results are not yet
fully disclosed. The commerce of other
neutral nations is suffering severely,
but not, perhaps, very much more Sc
verely than it "a already suffering be-
for the first of February, when the new
policy of the imperial government was
put into operation. We have asked the
ments to prevent these depredations,
but SO far non of them has thought it
wise to join us in any common course
of action.
sour own commerce has suffered, is
suffering, rather in apprehension than
In fact, rather because sc many of our
ships are timidly keeping to their home
ports than because American ships
have sunk.
"Two American vessels have been
sunk, the Housatonic and the Lyman
NJ. 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 it's
liability for damages, and the lives Of
the crew, as in the case of the Frye,
were safeguarded with reasonable care.
1.-THE case of the Law, which was
carrying lemon-box slaves to Palermo,
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.
'In summing up, therefore, the stu
alton we find ourselves in with regard
to the actual conduct of the German
submarine warfare against commerce
and it's effects upon our W ships and
people is substantially the same that
it was when 1 addressed you on the
third of February, except for the tying
up of our shipping in u own ports
because of the unwillingness of our
shipowners to risk their vessels at sea
without insurance or adequate protec-
ton, and the very serious congestion
of our commerce which has resulted,
a congestion which is growing rapidly
more and more serious every day.
IlllS III lISSlI hiiSHI pICoChIly az
complish, in effect, what the new Ger
man submarine orders were meant to
accomplish, so far as we r con-
cerned.
"We can only say, therefore, that
the overt act which 1 have ventured to
hope the German commanders would
in fact avoid has not occurred.
Some Alarming Signs.
"But while this is happily true, it
must be admitted that there have been
certain additional indications and ex-
pressions of purpose on the part of
the German press and the German au-
thOrities which have increased rather
than lessened the impression that, if
our ships and our people are spared
it will be because of fortunate cir
cumstances or because the com
handlers of the German submarines
which they may happen to encounter
exercise an unexpected discretion and
restraint rather than because of the
instructions under which those con-,
manderS are acting.
'It would. be foolish to deny that the