Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-04-06

their own intention. They must be
dealt with upon sight. if dealt with at
all.
CLAIMS lNDEFENSIBLE.
, THE German government denies the
rights of neutrals to use arms at all
within the areas of the sea which it
has prescribed, eel 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-
fectual enough at best. in such circum-
stances and in the face of such pre-
tensions it is worse than Intellectual;
it is likely once to produce what it
was meant to prevent; it is practically
certain to draw us into the war with
out either the rights or the effective
ness of belligerents.
NO YELLOW IN U. s.
There is one choice we cannot
make, we are incapable of making; we
will not choose the path of submission
and suffer the most sacred rights Of
our nation and our people to be ignor-
ed or violated. The wrongs against
which we now array ourselves are not
common wrongs; they cut to the very
roots Of human life. y
ASKS DECLARATION.
With a profound sense of the SOL
emn and even trasical character of the
step I am taking and Of the grave re-
responsibilities which 1t involves, but in
unhesitating obedience to what l 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 wal
against the government and people of
the United States: that it formally &C
cept the status of b%elligerent which
has thus been thrust upon it and that
1t take immediate steps not only to
put the country in a more through
state Of defense, but also to exert all
Its power and employ all it's resources
to bring the government Of the Ger
man empire to terms and end the war.
Means Cooperation.
What this will involve Is clear. It
will involve the utmost practicable CO.
operation in counsel and action with
s"S INV dl wal Will ISI-
many, and, as incident to that, the ex-
tension to those governments Of the
most liberal financial credits, in order
that our may, SO far as pos.
sible, be added to theirs. It will in.
volve the organization and mobiliza-
ton Of all the material of
the country to supply the materials Of
war and serve the incidental needs Of
the nation in the most abundant, and
yet the most economical and efficient
way possible.
Must Strengthen Navy.
at will involve the immediate full
equipment Of the navy in all respects,
but particularly in supplying it with
the best means Of dealing with the en-
emy's submarines. 1t will involve the
immediate addition to the armed
forces Of the United States already
provided for by law in case of war, at
least 100000 men who should, in my
opinion, be chosen upon the principle
of universal liability to service, and
also the authorization of subsequent
additional increments Of equal force so
soon as they may be needed and can
be handled in training.
Must Levy New Taxes.
ut will involve also, of course. the
granting of adequate credits to the
government, sustained, I hope, so far
as they can equitably be sustained by
the present generation, by we'll con-
ceived taxation. r say sustained so
far as may be equitable by taxation
because it seem to me that it would
be most unwise to base the credits
which will nnpv hn nnonccny.1, o~{{,,o1,,
On money borrowed. 1t is our duty, I
most respectfully urge, to protect our
people so far as we may against the
very serious h%ardships and evils which
would be likely to arise out Of the in.
f1ation which would be produced by
vast loans.
"1n carrying out the measures by
which these things are to be accom-.
plished We should keep constantly in
mind the wisdom of interfering as lit.
tie as possible in our own preparation
and in the equipment Of our own mill.
tary forces with the duty-for it will |
be a very practical duty-of supplying
the nations already at war with Ger.
many with the materials which they !
can obtain only from us or by u as.
s%istance. They are in the field and
we should help them in every way to
be effective there.
Will Submit War Plans, !
81 shall take the liberty of suggest.
ing through the several executive de.
partments Of the government, for the
consideration of your committees,
for the accomplishment of |,
the several objects l have mentioned.
I hope that it will be your pleasure
to deal with them as having been
after very careful thought by
the branch Of the government upon
which the responsibility of conducting
the war and safeguarding the nation
will most directly fall.
while we do these things. these
momentous things, let us be
very clear. and make very clear to all
the world, what u motives and our
objects are. My own thought has not
been driven from it's habitual and nor
NAL course by the unhappy events Of
the last two months. and I do not be-
lieve that the thought Of the nation