The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1917-04-06
STATE OF :.
WAR, SAYS
PRESIDENT
German Challenge
Is Accepted.
HUMANITY WARRED ON
HOstiIities Thrust Upon Us,
Says Wilson.
AID TO ALLIES is URGED
AID TO ALLIES is URGED

President, in Epoch Making Message
to Congress, Recites Acts of I'm
periaI Government-Armed Neutral
ity Worse Than Submission-Urges
Lawmakers to Declare that Ger
many Is at War With U. S.--Asks
Men and Money-In Preparing, u.
S. Aid to Allies Must Not Be
Lesscned.
WASHINGTON, D. C.-The full text
of President Woodrow Wilson's mes
sage to the extra session of congress
follows:
Gentlemen of the congress: l have
called the congress into extraordinary
session because there are serious,
very serious, choices of policy to be
made, which it was neither right, nor
cOnstitutiOnally permissible, that l
should assume the responsibility of
making.
"On the third of February last | of
ficially laid before you the extraordi,
nary announcement of the imperial
German government that on and after
the first day of February it was it's
purpose to put aside all restraints of
law or of humanity and use it's sub
marines to sink every vessel that
sought to approach either the ports
of Great Britain or Ireland or the
western coasts of Europe or any of
the ports controlled by the enemies
of Germany within the Mediterranean.
"That had seemed to be the object
of the German submarine warfare ear
lier in the war, but since April of last
year the imperial German government
had somewhat restrained the comman-
ders of it's under-sea craft in cOnformi-
ty with it's promise, then given to us,
that passenger boats should not be
sunk and that due warning would be
given to all other vessels which its
submarines might seek to destroy,
when no resistance was offered or es-
cape attempted and care taken that
their crews were given at least a fair
chance to save their lives in their
open boats.
Ships Sunk Without Mercy.
"The precautions taken were
meager and haphazard enough as was
proved in distressing instance after
instance in the progress of the cruel
and unmanly business, but a certain
degree of restraint was observed
"The new policy has swept every re-
strictiOn aside. Vessels of every kind
whatever their flag, their character,
their cargo, their destination, their er-
rand, have been ruthlessly sent to the
bottom without warning and without
thought of help or mercy for those on
board, the vessels of friendly neutrals
along with those of belligerents, even
hospital ships and ships carrying re-
lief to the sorely bereaved and stricI-
en- people of Belgium.
THE latter though provided with
safe conduct through the prescribed
areas by the German government it.
self and were distinguished by unmis-
taxable marks of identity, have been
sunk with the same reckless lack of
compassion or of principle.
81 was for a little while unable to
believe that such things would in fact
be done by any government that had
hitherto subscribed to the humane
practices of civilized nations Interna.
tional law had its origin in the at
tempt to set up some law which would
be respected and observed upon the
seas, where no nation had right of
dominion and where lay the free high
ways of the world.
"By painful stage after stage has
law been built up, with meager
enough results, indeed, after all was
accomplished that could be accom-.
plished, but always with a clear view
at least, of what the heart and con
science of mankind demanded.
Warfare Against Mankind.
"This minimum of right the German
government has swept aside under the
plea of retaliation and necessity and
because it had no weapons which il
could use at sea except those which il
is impossible to employ as it is en-
ploying them without throwing to the
winds 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 property involved, immense anG
serious as that is, but only of tie
wanton and wholesale destruction Of
the lives of noncombatants, men
women and children, engaged in pur
suits which have always, even in the
darkest periods of modern history
been deemed innocent and legitimate
Property can be paid for; the lives O.
the peaceful and innocent cannot be
The present German submarine war
fare against commerce is a warfare