Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1917-04-06
PRESIDENT SPEAKS
TO JOINT SESSION
Urges Adoption Of Measures to
Bring Germany to Terms

Cheered TO the Echo as He Casts Lot
of America Unreservedly with Al
lies-Strong Indictment.
WASHINGTON, April a. At $50
clock last night the United states
virtually made its entrance into the
war. At that hour President Wilson
appeared before a joint session of the
senate and house and invited it to con
slider the fact that Germany had been
making war upon us and to take action
in recognition of that fact in accord
ancc with his recommendations, which
included universal military service, the
raising of an army of 100000 men, and
cooperation with the allies in all ways
that will help most effectively to de-
feat Germany.
Resolutions, recognizing and declar-
ing the state of war, were Immediately
introduced in the house and senate by
Representative Flood and Senator Mar
tin, both of the President s. birth-statc,
Virginia, and they are the strongest
declarations of war that the United
States has ever made in any war in
which it has been engaged since it be-
istration resolutions drawn up after
conference with the President and in
language approved and probably die
tated by him. and they will come be-
fore the two foreign affairs committees
at meetings which will be held tomor-
row morning and will be reported at
the earliest practical moment.
Unreservedly With the Allies.
Before an audience that chccrcd him as
he has never been chccred in the capitol
in his life the President cast in the lot
of America unrescrvcdly with the allies
and declared for a war that must not
end until the issue between autocracy
and democracy has been fought out. He
rccitcd our injuries at Germany S
hands, but he did not rest our cause on
those; he went on from that point to
range us with the allies as n factor in
nm irrcprcssblc conflict between the
autocrat and the people lie showed
that peace was impossible for the de-
mocracics of the world while this power
remained on earth. "Thc world he
said, "must be safe for democracy"
The measures which the President
asked the congress to adopt or author.
Germany to defeat may be summarized
as follows:
Presidents Address Summarized.
l. ! advise that the congress Ito
quote the President S own words) de-
clare the recent course of the Imperial
German government to be in fact moth
ing less than war against the govern
mcnt and people of the United States;
that it formally accept the status of
belligerent, which has thus been thrust
upon it, and that it take immediate
steps not only to put the country in
more thorough state of defense but
also to exert all its power and employ
all its resources to bring the govern
mcnt of the German Empire to terms
and end the war.
2. This will involve the utmost prac,
ticablc cooperation in counsel and ar.
tion with the governments now at war
with Germany, and, as incidental to
that, the extension to those govern
mcnts Of the most liberal financial cred
its, in order that our resources may so
far rs possible be added to theirs
3. Organization and mobilization OF
all material resources of the country
to supply materials of war.
4. Immediate full equipment of the
navy, particularly in supplying it with
the best m ms of dealing with Ger
man S submarines.
;. An immediate addition of at least
800, 900 men to the armed forces of the
United States, already provided by
law, and authority to the President to
raise an equal force as soon as needed
and when they can be handled fol
training. This means an army of T.,
100000 men in addition to the regular
army and the state National Guard or
CARNATIONS.
6. This army, according to the Pres
idcnt S recommendation should be
chosen "upon the principle of univcr
sal liability to SERVICE The meaning
of this recommendation is that, should
it he enacted into law, the army whicl
will fight America S cause against Ger
many on land will be obtained By com
pulsory enlistment of young men with
in certain age limits yet to be pre-
scribcd.
7. Granting of adequate credits tC
the government, sustained by well
conceived taxation,' and not by vas
loans.
g. Care to be taken to prevent on
own military preparations from inter
ferinG with supplying the nations al
ready at war with Germany.
Universal Military Service.
The President S advocacy of universe
military service in order to obtain tn,
army necessary to give the United
States adequate representation on tn
battlc6clds of Europe brought gcncr
Gus applause from his audience in tn
hall of the house Of representatives
1t is too early yet to predict with an,
certainty the outcome of the attemp
TO be made to raise an army other thai
by the old method of calling for volun
tecrs but there arc indications that
majority of congress favors this course
and universal service bin probabl
viii be enacted shortly.
A plan for universal military servic
has been worked out by the genera
staff of the army. A bill introduced b.
Senator Chamberlain, chairman or IN
committee on military affairs, seeks t
carry out some of the features of til
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