The Dolores star., 1917-11-09
PORTIONS OF PRESIDENT WILSON'S WAR
MESSAGE SUPPRESSED IN GERMANY
~ Ndser Do Not Dare Pem Full Text Of Address to Reach
Ills People Shown. It ! Declared, by Distorted
Reports Published.

That the German government did
NOT dare permit the publication In that
country OF the full text Of President
wilson's address to congress on April
& 1877, In which the president called
upon congress to declare the existence
ef state Of war with the imperial
serman government 10 shown by copies
the message a. published in Ger
many which have been obtained by the
committee on public information Of the
United States government.
The Wolff Telegraph bureau, which
" not only under censorship control Of
sne German government but has been
useo ~ semi-offieiai mouthpIeee Of
the government, In its report Of presi.
uent Wilson's address, suporessed
many passages In which the president
out'ned the conditions which forced
this country to defend itself ao,In.t
the attacks Of the German government.
result the message was presented
20 .ne German people in an abridged
and distorted form.
IN the following copy Of the presi.
aenrs address, issued by the commit.
Zee on public information, the PASSAGES
suppressed by the Wolff TeIeorspb bu.
reau are shown in boid-faeed tyne.
Gentlemen of the Congress.
nave called the congress into extra.
ordinary session because there are 60
.ious' very serious. choices OF policy IN
:. aue, ana made Immediately. which
u is neither right nor constitutionalIv
permissible that should assume tho re-
sponsiblity of making.
oh the Sd OF February last officially
iald Defore you the extraordinary an
houncement of the Imperial German
day of February IL was its purnose IN
put aside all restraints of law or of hu
mahity and use its submarines 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 Medi
terranean. That had seemed to be the
object of the German submarine war
fare earlier in the war. but since April
OF last year the Imperial government
had somewhat restrained the comman-
ders or Its undersea craft in conform
ity with its promise thea given to us,
that passenger boats should not he
suSk' and that due warning would be
given to all other vessels which its
"ubmarines might seek to destroy,
when no resistance was offered or es-
cape attempted, and care taken that
their crews were given at least q fair
chance to anve their lives In their Oxen
boats. The precautions takes were
meager and haphaxard enough, a. was
lnstance In the progress of the cruel
and usmanly businesa. but . certain de-
gree Of restraint was observed.
The new policy has swept every re-
striction aside. Vessels of every kind.
whatever their nag, their character
errand. have been ruthlessly sent to
the bottom without warning and with
out thought OF help or mercy for those
on board. the vessels of friendly neu-
trails along with those of belligerents.
Even hospital ships and shlpa carrying
relief to the sorely bereaved and strick-
en- people of Belgium, though the lat
ter were provided with safe conduct
through the prescribed areas by the
German government itself and were
of identity, have been sunk with the
same reckless lack Of compassion or
of principle.
was for . little while unable to
believe that such things would In fact
be done by any Governneat that had
hitherto subscribed to the humane
practices of clviliseA nations. IDter-
aational law had Its origin In the st
tempt to set up some law which would
be respected and observed up0n the
seas. where NO nation had right Of
aomiaion 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. indeed.
after all was accomplished that could
be accomplished. hut always with q
clear view, at lenst, of what the heart
and conscience of mankind demanded.
This minimum of right the German
government has swept aside under the
plea of retaliation and necessity and
because it had no weapons which 1t
could use at sea except these, which
1t is impossible to employ as 1t is en-
ploying them. without throwing to the
wind all scruples of humanity or of
respect for the understandings that
were supposed to underlie the inter-
course of the world.
7 am not now thinking of the loss of
property involved. immense and serious
as that is, but only of the wanton and
wholesale destruction of the lives of
non n-combatants. men. women. and chill
dren, enEaked in pursutts which have
always, even In the darkest periods OF
modern history, been deemed innocent
and legitimate. Property can be paid
for, the lives of peaceful and insocent
neoule cannot be. The present German
sabmarine warfare against commerce
is warfare against mankind.
IT is q war dSAlHSt oiA hotiohS' 1As..~A-
s.,. .hIpa have been sunk, American
lives taken, n ways which II has
stirred Ms very deeply to learn Of but
the ships mad people OF other neuSrai
..S friendly nations have been sunk
ma overwhelmed In the waters In the
same way. There has been No DIS
crfmination.
The chaIlenGe is to all nankine.
Each nation must decide for itself now
it will meet It. The choice we make
for ourselves must be made with
moderation of counsel and a temper
ateness of judgment betting our
we must put excited feelings away.
our motive will not be revenge or the
victorious assertion Of the physical
might of the nation. but only the vim
dication of right. of human right. OF
which we are only a single champion
When I addressed the congress on
FROM FAR