The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1917-04-06

were supposed to underlie the inter
course Of the world.
II am not now thinking OF the loss
of 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
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
innocent people can not be.
Americas Motives Not Revenge
The present German submarine war
fare against commerce is warfare
against mankind. 1t is war against
all nations. American ships have been
sunk, American lives taken, in ways
which it has 4rred US very deeply to
learn OF, but the ships and people OF
other neutral and friendly nations have
been sunk and overwhelmed in the
waters in the same way. There has
been no discrimination. The chal-
lenge is to all mankind. Each nation
must decide for itself how it will meet
| it. The choice we make for ourselves
must be made with a moderation of
counsel and temperatures of judg-
ment BETTING our character and our
motives as a nation. We must put ex-
cited feeling away. Our motive will
not be revenge or the victorious asser-
ton of the physical might of the ma
ton, but only the vindication of right,
Of human right, of which we are only a
single champion.
Armed Neutrality Impossible.
when I addressed the congress on
the Goth of February last, I thought
that it would suffice to assert our
neutral rights with arms, our right to
use the seas against unlawful inter
ference, our right to keep our people
safe against unlawful violence. But
armed neutrality, it now appears, is
impracticable. Because submarines
are, in effect, outlaws when used as
the German submarines have been
used against merchant shipping, it is
impossible to defend ships against
their attacks as the law Of nations
has assumed that merchantmen would
defend themselves against privateers or
cruisers, visible craft giving chase upon
the open sea. It is common prudence
in such circumstances, grim necessity,
indeed, to endeavor to destroy them
before they have shown their own
intention. They must be dealt with
upon sight, if dealt with at all.
| Force Is Necessary.
The German government denies
the right OF neutrals to use arms at all
within the areas OF the sea which it
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 in
effectual enough at best; in such cir
cumstances and in the face Of such
pretensions it is worse than ineffectual;
it is likely at once to produce what it
was meant to prevent; it is practically
certain to draw US into the war without
either the rights or the effectiveness OF
belligerents.
There is one choice we cannot
make, we are incapable Of making.
We will not choose the path of sub
mission and suffer the most sacred
rights OF our nation and our people to
be ignored or violated. The wrongs
against which we now array ourselves
are not common wrongs; they cut to
the very roots OF human life.
Ask for War state.
with a profound sense Of the SOL
emn and even tragical character Of the
step am taking and of the grave re-
sponsibilities which it involves, but in
unhesitating obedience to what I 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 againsr