The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1917-11-09
PORTIONS or PRESIDENT SONS WAR
MESSAGE SUPPRESSED IN GERMANY
That Kaiser Did Not Dare Pem Full Text Of Address to Reach
His People Shown It Declared, by Distorted
Reports Published

That the German government dlt
not dare permit the publication In tina
country Of the full text Of Presiden
Wilson's address 10 congress on Apri
2, 1917, in which the president calleC
upon congress to declare the existence
Of a state Of war with the imperia
German government is shown by copies
Of the message as published in Ger
many which have been obtained by the
committee on public information Of the
United States government.
The Wolff Telegraph bureau, which
Is not only under censorship control OF
the German government but has been
used as a semi-offleial mouthpleee OF
the government, in its report Of Presi.
dent Wilson's address, suppressed
many passages in which the president
outlined the conditions which forced
this country TO defend itself against
the attacks Of the German government.
AS result the message was presented d
10 the German people in an abridged
and distorted form.
In the following copy Of the pres.
dents address, issued by the commit.
tee on public information, the PASSAGES
suppressed by the Wolff Telegraph bu.
rcau are shown in bod.faced type.
gentlemen of the Congress-
have called the congress into extra.
ordinary session because there are Sc
rous, very serious choices of policy TO
To- made, and made immediately. which
Dr. Is neither right nor constitutionaIIy
rmissible that should assume the re-
spoHsibilitv Of making
on the Sd Of February last I officially
laid before you the extra ordinary an
nouncement Of the Imperial German
government that on and after the lst
day Of February II was its purpose to
put aside all restraints Of law or OF hu-
manty 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 Mcd-
.terranean. That had seemed to he the
object Of the German submarine war
re earlier in the war, but since April
rr last year the immortal government
} 1a somewhat restra med the commau-
GERS 0t itt underSea craft In conform
y with its promise then given to us,
vat passenger boats should not lie
srsUk, md that due warning would be
rlr"n to all other vessels which Its
s-hmRrines might seek TO destroy.
hen no resistance was offered or Cs-
"lge attempted, and care taken that
tHCi- crews were given Ht least Il fair
"hnEce to save their lives in their omen
boats. The precautions taken we-c
I~enger and hnphn2ard enough, nS was
proved On distressing instance after
instance In the progress OC the cruel
HTd UnmInly business, hut certain de-
gree of restraint WAS observed.
The new policy has swept every re- |
str. .ction aside. Vessels of every kind. |
WIN ever their flag. their character |
tTcir cargo, their destination, their
rand, have been ruthlesSly sent to |
tie bottom without warning and with |
C.tt thought Of help or mercy for those
on bl I'd the vessels OF friendly neu-
trails "10ng with those of belligerents
Even 'ospital ships and ships carrying
reIies 10 Che sOreIy berenVcd and strIck-
en peODIe of Belgium, though the lat
ter were provided with safe conduct
through the prescribed areas by the
German government itself and were
distinguished by unmistakable marks
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 I'm fact
he done by any government that had
hitherto subscribed to the humane
practices of civilized nations. Inter-
national law had Its origin in the at
Icmpt to set up some law which would
I've respected and observed upon the
srna where no nation had right of
dominion and where lay the free high
ways of the world. BY painful stage
a rter stage has that law been built up
with meaEer enough results indeed.
n fter all was accomplished that could
g.I.g 4 V..VW nj
cIenr view, Rt least, Of what the heart
Hud conscience of mankind demanded.
This minimum of right the German
has swept aside under the
rlea Of retaliation and necessity and
because II had no weapons which 1t
could use at sea except these which
IL is impossible to employ as it is en-
blowing 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,
I am not now thinking of the loss Of
involved. immense and serious
! q that is but only of the wanton and
Wholesale destruction of the lives Of
non -combatants, men women, and chill
dren. engaged In pursuits which have
pIyyHys even in the darkest periods OF
modern history, been deemed innocent
and legitimate. Property can he paid
peouIe cannot he. The present German
submarine warfare against commerce I
Is warfare against mankind. I
II is a war against all nations, Amer
lraD shjps have been sunk, American
lives taken. In ways which 1t has
stirred us very deeply to learn Of but I
tie ships nnd people of other neutral
prd friendly nations have been sunk I
and overwhelmed In the waters In the c
son,e way. There has been no dis '
r elimination. J
The challenge is TO all mankind. b
Each nation must decide for Itself how II
+ will meet it. The choice we make I
FOR ourselves must he made with 4
Of counsel and temper Il
,teness Of Judgment betting our h
,bar9cter and our motives a $ a nation. II
We must put excited feelings away. Il
)ur motive will not be revenge or the II
,ir+orious assertion Of the physical y
might of the nation, but only the vim 4
ltcatfon of right. of human right or q
which we are only single champion. 4
When I addressed the congress on q
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