The Cook County news-herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Cook County, Minn.) 1909-current, 1917-03-14
PRESIDENT ASKS
POWER TO GUARD
! RIGHTS OF U. S.
Declares Diplomatic Means Have
Failed to Safeguard Amer
lean Interests.
FORCEDT0kRMED NEUTRALITY
Requests Congress to Grant Power to
Arm American Merchant Vessels
and to Use Armed Forces Of the
Nation to Defend Rights OF
United States Citizens.

Washington, Feb. 27.-President Will
sou delivered an address before joint
session of congress yesterday. He de-
clared that diplomatic means had
failed to safeguard American interests
and that all that is left now is to
adopt an attitude OF armed neutrality.
He specifically asked that he be given
authority to arm American merchant
vessels.
The presidents address was as fol-
lows:
"Gentlemen Of the Congress:
l have again asked the privilege of
addressing you because we are moving
through critical times during which it
seems to me to be my duty to keep in
close touch with the houses Of con-
gress, SO that neither counsel nor &C.
ton shall run at cross purposes be-
tween us.
"On the third of February officially
Informed you Of the sudden and unex-
pected action of the imperial German
government in declaring it's intention
to disregard the promises it had made
to this government in April last and
undertake immediate submarine opera
tons against all commerce, whether
belligerents or neutrals, that should
seek to approach Great Britain and Ire
land, the Atlantic coasts of Europe, or
the harbOrs of the eastern Mediterra-
mean, and to conduct those operations
without regard to the established re-
strictions of international practice,
without regard to any considerations
of humanity even which might inter-
fere with their object. That policy was
forthwith put into practice. 1t has
now been in active execution for near
ly four weeks.
All Commerce Suffering.
"Its practical results are not yet
fully disclosed. The commerce Of other
neutral nations is suffering severely;
but not, perhaps, very much more Sc
verely than it was already suffering be-
for the first of February, when the new
policy of the imperial government was
put into operation. We have asked the
cooperation of other neutral govern
nents to prevent these depredations,
but SO far none of them has thought it
wise to join us in any common course
of action.
"Our own commerce has suffered, is
suffering, rather in apprehension than
in fact, rather because SO many of our
ships are timidly keeping to their home
ports than because American ships
have sunk.
''Two American vessels have been
sunk, the Housatonic and the Lyman
M. Law.
'The case of the Housatonic, which
was carrying foodstuffs to a London
firm, was essentially like the case Of
the Frye, in which, it will be recalled,
the German government admitted it's
liability for damages, and the lives of
the crew, as in the case of the Frye,
were safeguarded with reasonable care.
''The case of the Law, which was
carrying lemOn-box slaves to Palermo,
disclosed a ruthlessness of method
which deserves grave condemnation,
but was accompanied by no circum-
stances which might not have been ex-
pected at any time in connection with
the use Of the submarine against mer-
chantmen as the German government
has used it.
I'm summing up, therefore, the stu
ation we find ourselves in with regard
to the actual conduct of the German
submarine warfare against commerce
ard it's effects upon our own ships and
people is substantially the same that
it was when addressed you on the
third Of February, except for the tying
up of our shipping in our own ports
because of the unwillingness Of our
shSpowners to risk their vessels at sea
without insurance or adequate protec.
tion, and the very serious congestion
of our commerce which has resulted
a congestion which is growing rapidly
more and more serious every day.
'This in itself might presently ac
conplish, in effect, what the new Ger
accomplish, so far as we are con
cerned.
1--WE can only say, therefore, thai
thu: overt act which have ventured tt
hone the German commanders would
IN fact avoid has not occurred.
Some Alarming Signs.
''But while this is happily true, i
must be admitted that there have beer
certain additional indications and ex
pressions of purpose on the part O
the German press and the German au
thorities which 1--we increased rattle
than lessened the impression that,
our ships and our people are spare'
it VIII be because Of fortunate cir
cumstances or because the com
mandcrs of the Germa.' submarine
which they may happen to encounte
exercise IN unexpected discretion an
restraint rather than because of tn
Instructors under which those con
mandcrs arc acting.
1T would be foolish to deny that tn