The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1917-04-06
PRESIDENTS WAR MESSAGE
Meets With Hearty and Enthusiastic
Endorsement of Both Branches
of Congress-

sons address asking Congress to de
clare a state of war against Ger.
many:
have called the Congress into ex.
traordinary session because there are
serious, very serious, choices of pol.
icy to be made, and made Immediately
which it is neither right nor constitu-
tionally permissible that / should as
sumo the responsibility of making.
On the Sd of February last l off
cially laid before you the extraordi-
nary announcement of the Imperial
German Government that on and af-
ter the first day of February it was
its purpose to put aside all restraint
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
western coasts of Europe or any of
the ports controlled by the enemies of
Germany within the Mediterranean.
That had seemed to be the object of
the German submarine warfare earli-
er in the war, but since April of last
year the Imperial Government had
somewhat restrained the commanders
of its undersea craft in conformity
with its promise then given to us that
passenger boats should not be sunk,
and that due warning would be given
to all other vessels which it's subma-
rines might seek to destroy, when no
resistance was offered or escape at
tempted, and care taken that their
crews were given at least fair chance
to save their lives in their open boats.
"Cruel, Unmanly Business"
The precautions taken were meager
and haphazzard enough, as was proved
in distressing instances after instance
in the progress of the cruel and un-
manly business, but a certain degree
of restraint was observed.
The new policy has swept every re-
striction 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 vessles of
friendly neutrals along with those of
belligerents. Even hospital ships and
ships carrying relief to the sorely be-
reaved and stricken people of Belgi-
um, though the latter were provided
with safe conduct through the pro-
scribed areas by the German Govern
ment itself, and were distinguished
by unmistakable marks of identity,
have been sunk with the same reck-
less lack of compassion or principle.
was for little while unable to
believe that such things would in fact
be done by any Government that had
hitherto subscribed to the humane
practices of civilized nations. Inter
national law had its origin in the at
tempt to set up some law, which |
would be respected and observed up
on the seas, where no nation had
right of dominion and where lay the
free highways of the world. By pain
full stage after stage has that law
been built up with meager enough re-
suits, indeed, after all was accomp-
lished that could be accomplished, |
but always with clear view, at least
of what the heart and conscience of
mankind demanded.
This minimum of right the Ger
man Government has swept aside
under the plea of retaliation and me-
cessity, and because it had no weap-
one which it could use at sea except
these, which it is impossible to en-
ploy as it is employing them without
throwing to the winds all scruples of
humanity or of respect for the under
standings that were supposed to un-
derlie the intercourse of the world.
am not now thinking of the loss of
involved, immense and Sc
rious as it is, but only of the wanton
and wholesale destruction of the lives
of non-combatants, men, women and
children, engaged in pursuits which
always have, even in the darkest per-
iods of modern history, been deemed
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 war
fare against mankind. 1t is a war
against all nations. American ships
have been sunk, American lives tax
en-, in ways which it has stirred us
very deeply to learn of, but the ships
and people of other neutral and
Lrlenuly nations nave Deen sunk and
overwhelmed in the waters in the
same way. There has been no dis
The challenge is to all
Each nation must decide
'or itself how it will meet it.
Will Vindicate Right.
The choice we make for ourselves
must be made with a moderation of
counsel and temperateness of
Judgment beftting our character and
,ur motives as a nation. We must
,ut excited feeling away. Our mo-
i've will not be revenge or the vic
orious assertion of the physical
night of the nation, but only the vim
Iication of right, of human rights, of
which We are only single champion.
When | addressed the Congress on
he 26th of February, last, thought
would suffice to assert our neutral
lights with arms, our right to use
he seas against unlawful interfer-
nce,A our right to keep our people {
afe against unlawful violence. But
rmed neutrality, it now appears, is
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