The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1917-03-10
PRESIDENT ASKS
POWER TO GUARD
RIGHTS OF U. S.
Declares Diplomatic Means Have
Failed to Safeguard Amer
lean Interests.
FORCEDTO ARMED 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.


United States Citizens.
Washington, Feb. 27.-President Will
son delivered an address before joint
session of congress yesterday. He de-
ciared 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:
1 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.
lon the third of February I officially
informed you of the sudden and unex-
pected action of the imperial German
government in declaring its intention
to disregard the promises it had made
to this government in April last and
undertake immediate submarine opera
lions 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
Iy 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
ments to prevent these depredations,
but SO far none of them has thought it
wise to join us in any commons 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
sunk, the HOusatonic and the Lyman
Nj. Law.
1.-THE case of the Housatonic, which
was carrying fOOdstuffs to d 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,
We're 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 tiTae in connection with
the use of the submarine against mer-
chantmen as the German government
has used it.
In summing up, therefore, the stu
alton we find ourselves in with regard
to the actual conduct of the German
submarine warfare against commerce
and its effects upon our own ships and
people is substantially the same that
it WAS when 1 addressed you on the
third of f0Y. tho
up of our shipping in our own ports
because of the unwillingness of our
shipOwnerS to risk their vessels at sea
without insurance or adequate protec-
ton. 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 &C
complish. in effect, what the new Ger
man submarine orders were meant to
accomplish, so far as we are con-
cerned.
I'VE can only say. therefore, that
the overt act which have yentured to
hope the German commanders would
in fact avoid has not occurred.
Some Alarming Signs.
But while this is happily true, it
must be admitted that there have been
certain additional indications and ex-
pressions of purpose on the part of
the German press and the German au-
thorities which have increased rather
than leSSened the impression that, if
our ships and our people are spared
1t will be because of fortunate cir
cumstances or because the COM
manders of the German submarines
which they may happen to encounter
exercise an unexpected discretion and
restraint rather than because OF the
instructions under which those COM
manderS are acting.
at would be foolish to deny that the
The Two Sides.
The conflict Of this world is between