The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1917-04-03
re PRESIDENTS MESSAGE

evening President Wilson briefly re
viewed the events leading up TO the
present crisis. showing how German,
has ruthIessly swept aside all consid
srations OF International law and hu
manity in its methods OF sea warfare
and then presented the issue confront
ing the people Of America in the fol
lowing language:
4 am not now thinking OF the loss
OF the property involved immense and
serious 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 who
have always. even In the darkest Pc
riods or modern history. been deemed
innocent and legitimate Property can
be paid for the lives OF peaceful and
innocent people cannot be-
'"The present German submarine war
fare against commerce is a warfare
against mankind II is war against
al nations American ships have boeu
sunk: American lives taken 10 ways
which has stirred us very deeply TO
learn OF. but the ships and people OF
other neutral and friendly nations have
been sunk and overwhelmed in the wa
ters IN the same way There has been
no discrimination The challenge Is
70 all mankind Each nation must de.
eide for itself how Il win meet IL. The
choice we make for ourselves must be
made with q moderation Of counsel
and temperatures Of judgment be.
fitting our character and our motives
as nation We must put excited feel.
ing away. Our motive win not be re-
venge or the victorious assertion Of
the physical might or the nation. but
only the vindication of right. OF human
right Of which We are only a single
champion
Because submarines sye in effect
outlaws when used as the German sub
marines have been used against mer.
chant shipping, il is impossible 10 de-
fend ships against their attacks as the
Law OF nations has assumed that mer
chantment would defend themselves
against privateers or cruisers. visible
craft giving chase upon the open sea.
il IS common prudence IN such circum.
stances. grim necessity indeed. to en-
deayor 70 destroy them before they
have shown their own intention. They
must be dealt with upon sight II dealt
with at all.
THE German government denies the
right OF neutrals to use arms at all
within the areas OF the sea which il
has prescribed. even in the defense of
rights which no modern publicist has
ever before questioned their right to
defend. The intimation 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 Is inef-
fectuai enough at best; in such cir.
cumstances and in the face OF such
pretensions it is worse than ineffec,
tual; it is likely to produce what III
was meant to prevent; II is practically
certain to draw us into the war with
out either the rights or the effective.
ness OF belligerents.
There ID one choice we cannot
make--we are incapable Of making
we will not choose the path OF submis
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 not
common wrongs; they cut to the very
roots OF human life.
with a profound sense OF the sol.
emn and even tragical character OF
the step | am taking and OF the grave
responsibilities which il involves, but
unhesitating obedience TO what deem
my constitutional duty, ! advise that
the congress declare the recent course
of the imperial German government to
be in fact nothing less than war
agains. the government and the peo.
pie Of the United States; that it for.
mally accept the status OF belligerent
which has been thrust upon it. and
that it take inmediatefsteps not only
to put the country in a more thorough I,
state Of defense. but also to exert all
its power ami employ all its resources /
10 bring the government Of the German
empire to terms and end the war"
q @% . . . - . Q .