The Elbert County tribune., 1917-04-06
URGE ARMY OF 100000
Brands Gernany's Course as War
fare Against AL Mankind that
o. 8. Will Not Tolerate.
HUGE INCREASE IN THE NAVY
Declares That War Must Be Against
Berlin Government and Not the
German People and Asserts United

Western Newspaper Union News Service.
Washington. April 3. = President
Congress last night, starting at S:35.
He characterized the present Ger
man submarine warfare as warfare
against mankind"
Il advise he continued, that the
Congress declare the recent course of
the German government to be in fact
nothing less than war against the gov
ernment and people of the United
States and that it formally accept the
status of the belligerent which has
thus been thrust upon 1t and employ
all of its resources to bring the gov
ernment of Germany to terms and to
end the war"
Full Text Of Message.
The address OF the President fol-
bows:
Gentlemen OF the Congress- have
called the Congress into extraordi-
nary session because there are SER
tous-very serious-choices of policy
to be made, and made Immediately,
which 1t was neither right nor consti-
tutionally permissible that should as
sumo the responsibility of making.
On the 3rd of February last l Off
cially laid before you the extraordi-
nary announcement of the German
government that on and after the 1st
of February 1t was its purpose to put
aside all restraints of law or of hui
manity and use its submarines to sink
every vessel that sought to approach
either the ports of Great Britain or
Ireland or the western coasts of
Europe, or any of the ports controlled
by the enemies of Germany within
the Mediterranean.
That had seemed the object OF the
German submarine warfare earlier in
the war. but since April of last year
the German government had some
what restrained the commanders of
its undersea craft in conformity with
its promise then given to us that pas
senger boats should not be sunk and
that due warning be given to all other
vessels which its submarines might
seek to destroy, when no resistance
was offered or escape attempted and
care taken that their crews we're
given at least fair chance to save
their lives in their open boats.
The precautions taken were meager
and haphazard enough. as was proved
in distressing instance after instance
In the program of the cruel and UNI
manly business. but a certain degree
OF restraint was observed.
All Restrictions Now Cast Aside.
The new policy has swept every re-
striction aside. Vessels of every kind,
whatever their flag, their character,
their cargo, their destination, their er-
rand, have been ruthlessly sent to the
bottom without warning and without
thought of help or mercy for those
on board, the vessels of friendly neu'
trails along with those of belligerents
Even hospital ships and ships carry
ing relief to the sorely bereaved and
stricken people of Belgium. though
the latter were provided with safe
conduct through the prescribed areas
by the German government itself, and
were distinguished by unmfstakable
marks of identity, have been sunk
with the same reckless lack of com
passion 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
HdlioHdi law Hdu us oIiRll III lHc dt
tempt to set up some law, which
would be respected and observed upon
the seas, where no nation had right oi
dominion and where lay the free high
ways of the world. BY painful stage
after stage has that law been built
up with meager enough results, in
deed. after all was accomplished 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 un
der the plea of retaliation and ne
cessity and because it had no weap-
ons which 1t could use at sea except
these, which II is impossible to EN-.
ploy as it is employing them with
out throwing to the winds all scruples
of humanity or of respect for the un-
derstandings that were supposed to
underlie the intercourse OF the world
I am not now thinking OF the loss OF
property involved, immense and ser
ious as that is. but only Of the wan
ton and Wholesale destruction OF the
lives of non-combatants, men, women
and children, engaged In pursuits
which have always. even in the. dark
est periods OF modern history, been
deemed innocent and legitimate. Prop
erty can be paid for: the lives OF
peaceful and innocent people cannot
be.
Kaiser Wages War Against Mankind.
The present German submarine war