The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1917-11-08


on the open sea. II is common pru-
dence In such circumstances. grim nee
essity indeed, TO endeavor to destroy
them before they have shown their own
intention. They must be dealt with up
on sight, n dealt with at all.
The German government denies the
right OF neutrals to use arms at all
within the areas OF the sea which II
has prescribed even in the defense OF
rights which no modern publicist has
ever before questioned their right to
defend. The intimRtion is conveyed that
the armed guards which we have
placed on our merchant ships will be
treated as beyond the pale of law and
subject TO be dealt with as pirates
would be. Armed neutrality r. inenec-
tual enough at besti In such circum-
stances and In the face of such preten-
siOns II II worse than Intellectually II In
likely only to produce what Il was
meant to preventg II In practically GER
tain to draw MS into war without either
the rights or the effectiveness of the bel
ligerents. There r. one choice we can
EOt make, we are Incapable of makInEi
We will not choose the path Of submits
sion and suffer the most sacred rights
Of our nation and our people to be ig-
nored or violated. The wrongs against
which we now array ourselves are no
roots of human life.
With n profound sense of the solemn
and even trRglcal character of the step
I am taking and of the grave RESPONSE
bllltIes which IL involves, but in un-
hesitating obedience to what l deem
my constitutional duty, I advise that
the congress declare the recent course
of the Imperial German government to
be in fact nothing less than war
against the government and people of
the United States; that 1t formally ac-
cept the status OF belligerent which has
thus been thrust upon It: and that II
take immediate steps not only to put
the country in a more thorough state
of defense, but also to exert all its
power and employ all its resources TO
bring the government of the German
empire to terms and end the war.
What this will involve Is clear. 1t
will involve the utmost practicable CO.
operation in counsel and action with
the governments now at war with Ger
many. and as incident to that. the ex-
tension to those governments Of the
most liberal financial credits, In order
that our resources may so far as pos
sible be added to theirs.
1t will involve the organization and
mobilization of all the material re-
sources of the country to supply the
IndleTldlS VI WIT anu ScTNC IHC
dental needs OF the nation in the most
abun dant and yet the most economical
and efficient way possible.
It will involve the immediate full
equipment Of the navy in all respects
but particularly in supplying 1t with
the best means OF dealing with the enc
my's submarines.
1t will involve the immediate addi-
tion to the armed forces of the United
States already provided for by law in
case of war OF at least 100000 men,
who should. in my opinion. be chosen
upon the principle of universal liabil-
ity to service. and also the authorize
tion of subsequent additional incre-
ments of equal force so soon as they
may be needed and can be handled In
training.
IL will Involve also, of course, the
granting of adequate credits to the
government, sustained, hope, so far
as they can eQultably be sustained by
the present generation, by well-cOn-
ceIved taxation.
say sustained NO far as may be
equitable by taxation, because 1t seems
to me that It would he most unwiSe to
base the credits, which will now he
necessary, entirely on money borrowed.
1t In our duty, most respectfully urge,
to protect our people, SO far as we
may, against the very serious hard
ships and evils which would be likely
to arise out of the imitation which would
be produced by vast loans.
In carrying out the measures by
which these things are to he accom-
pIIshed we should keep constantly in
mind the wisdom of interfering ms lit
tie as possible i'm our own, preparation
and in the equipment of our own mill
ANafv-RnR
he a very practical duty-Of supplying
the nations already at war with Ger
many with the materials which they
| can obtain only frOm us or by our as
| slstance. They are in the field, and we
| should help them in every way to be
effective there.
| I shall take the liberty OF suggest
Ing, through the several executive de-
partments Of the government, for the
consideration of your committed"
measures for the accomplishment OF
the several objects I have mentioned
| I hope that it will be your pleasure to
| deal with them ms having been framed
after very careful thought by the
branch of the government upon whom
the responsibility of conducting the
| war and safeguarding the nation Will
most directly fall.
While we do these things, these deep
Iy mOmentOus things, let us be very
| clear, and make very clear to all the
world, what our motives and our OBJ
jects are. My own thought has not
| heeu driven from its habitual and nor
| NAL course by the unhappy events Oi
| the last two months, and do not be-
| Heve that the thought OF the nation
| has been altered or clOuded by them.
have exactly the same things In minG
| now that I had in mind when ad-
| dressed the senate on the I'D OF Jnnu-
orv last; the same that 1 had in mind
| when I addressed congress ON the Sd Oi
| February and on the 26th of February
| Our object now, as then, IL to vlndicate
| the principles of peace and justice in
! the life Of the world as against selfish
| Rnd nutOcratic power, and to set uT
| among the really free and self-BOV-
erned UeOoles Of the world such con-
| cert Of purpose and of action as VIII
| heucefOrth insure the Observance Oi
those principles.
| Neutrality In no longer feasible OI
desirable where the peace Of the wOrlt
I. involved and the freedom of its peO-
| UIes, and the menace to that peace and
| freedom lies in the existence of auto
cratic governments, backed by organ.
lied force which ls controlled wholly
by their will, not by the will of theiI
| ucODIe, We have seen the last of neu.
| traIity In such circumstance. We are
at the beginning of an age In which II
will be insisted that the same stand
nrds of conduct and OF responsibility
| fOr wrong done shall he observed
| among nations and their government
| that are observed among the indlvidua
citizens Of clvllised states.
We have no quarrel with the German
people. We have no feeling towart
| them but one Of sympathy and friend
ship 1t was not upon their impulse
that their government acted in enter
ing the war. 1t was not with theil
| previous knowledge or approval. 1
| was a war determined upon as war!
used to be determined upon in the ole
unhappy days, when peoples were no
| where consulted by their rulers anC
| ,,ro re uera nrnvnked and WaPed in thl