Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-02-27

/ the means ana the autnOrlly 10 sale
guard in practice the right of great
people who are at peace and who are
DESTROYS of exercising none but the
| rights of peace to follow the pursuit OF
! peace in quietness and good Will =
, rights recognized time out of mind by
all the civilized nations Of the world.
| No course Of my choosing or OF theirs
will lead to war. War can come only
by the wilful acts and aggressions OF
others
You will understand why can make
no definite proposals or forecasts or
action now and must ask for your sup
! porting authority in the most general
terms. The form in which action may
/ become necessary cannot yet be fore
seen. believe that the people will be
willing to trust me to act with re-
straint, with prudence and in the true
spirit ofSamity and good faith that they
have themselves displayed throughout
these trying months; and it is In that
| belief that I request that you will
authorize me to supply our merchant
ships with defensive arms should that
become necessary and with the means
of using them and to employ any other
instrumentalities or methods that may
| be necessary and adequate to protect
our ships and our people in their legiti-
mate and peaceful pursuits on the
seas. l request also that you will
grant me at the same time, along with
the powers l ask, sufficient credit to
enable me to provide adequate means
OF protection where they are lacking,
including adequate insurance against
the present war risks.
81 have spoken Of our commerce
and of the legitimate errands of our
people on the seas but you will not
be misled as to my main thought. the
/ thought that lies beneath these
phrases and gives them dignity and
weight. It is not of material interest
merely that we are thinking. 1t Is,
rather. of fundamental human rights.
chief of all the right of life itself.
am thinking not only Of the rights OF
Americans to go and come about their
proper business by way OF the sea.
but also of something much deeper,
much more fundamental than that.
am thinking of those rights Of human
/ ity without which there is no civiliza-
ton. My theme is of those great prin-
ciples of compassion and OF protec-
ton which mankind has sought to
throw about human lives the lives OF
non combatants, the lives of men who
are peacefully at work keeping the
/ Industrial processes of the world quick
and vital, the lives of women and
children and of those who supply the
labor which ministers to their susten'
ance. We are speaking of no selfish
material rights but of rights which
our hearts support and whose founda..
| ton is that righteous passion for JUS
tice upon which all law, all struc-
lures alike of family, Of state and of
mankind, must rest as upon the ul-
| innate base of our existence and our
| liberty l cannot imagine any man
with American principles at his
heart .hesitating to defend these
things
Committee Meets Promptly.
! Immediately after the president left
the capital. meeting Of the house
foreign affairs committee was called
and Chairman Stone of the senate
foreign relations committee. said his
committee would be called together
later this afternoon.
The presidents address was deliver.
ed without applause. The gravity OF
the moment as if by common consent,
prevented any uproarious bursts OF
enthusiasm such as marked previous
appearances before congress.
! From republicans and democrats
who have been pressing for forward
action in the situation there were
vigorous mods Of approval. The
element classed as pacifist and those
who are accounted as sympathizers
with them in some degree heard the
address in silence. and when it was
over, refrained from expressions, say
ing they were thinking"
To the very end Of the address,
there was no applause but when II
was concluded there was a storm OF
cheering and handclapping.
Predict FiIIbuster.
Some republican senators declared
they did not want to sign blank
check" for the president and predicted
a filibuster against the legislation he
requests for the purpose Of forcing an
extra session Of congress.
| Senator Stone said administration
leaders had not yet definitely decided
whether the legislation the president
asks would originate in the house or
the senate. He thought it probably
would be introduced first in the house
so as to carry the credit A bill rather
than resolution combining grant Of
authority and the appropriation prob
ably will be drawn
Senator Simmons. chairman Of the
finance committee said he believed
$500 100000 would be sufficient at this
time and that it might be provided by
To ba hill n
before the senate.