St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1917-04-07
WAR DECLARED AND
PLANS FOR EFFICl-
EMIT NAVY AND
ARMY.

aTsfssas & 5-s- g@r-A W i = 4 . 81 a. a ~
r,,anton and wholesale destruction oi
the lives Of noncom oatants. men, "o-
men and children, engaged in paf-
quits which have always, even n the
darkest periods Of modern history
been deemed innocent and legisI-
mate. Properly can be paid for; the
lives CT peaceful and innocent 25o
,la carnot be. The present Germ2h
submarine warfare against commerce
is q warfare aga INST nj 3nkind.
~ is a war against ali nations
American sh ps have been SANK
american i've taken, in ways when
If has stirred Us very deeniy to learn
If but the ships and people OF othei
neutral and friendly nations nave
heen SINK and overwhelmed In the
waters in the same way. 1heit Ia
haen no disci'.m nation. Inc cll~i-
lenge is to all mankind. Each ma
t;on must decide for ltse!t now IL
will meet il. The choice We make
for ourselves must be made with
determination of counsel ana tenn
perateness Of judgment betting our
character and our motives as Ia
ton. We must put excited ieelihs
away. Our motive will not De re.
yenge or the victorious assertion ol
the physical might of the nation Dus
onlv the yindicatiiOn Of right, OF
human right, of which we are only
a single champion.
Armed Neutrality No
Longer Practicable.
when l addressed the Congress
on the 26th Of February las5
thought that it would suffice to as
sert our neutral rights with arms
our right to use the seas against
unlawful interference, our right TO
keep our people safe against un!a"-
full violence. But armed neutrallty'
it now appears, is impractical Die. BE-
cause submarines are in effect OUT
laws when used as the German SUBJ
marines have been used against mer-
chant shipping. 1t is impossible 10
defend ships against their attacks
as the law of nations has assumed
that merchantmen would deieNu
themselves against prlvateers or
cruisers, visible craft giving chase
upon the open sea. 1t is common
prudence in such circumstances.
grim necessity indeed, to endeavor TO
destroy they have shown their own
intention. They must be dealt witt
upon SIGHT, if dealt with at all.
"The German government GenleF
the right of neutrals to use arms al
all within the areas of the sea which
It has prescribed, even in the defense
of rights which no modern publiclsf
has ever before questioned their
right to defend. The intimation is
conveyed that the armed guards
which we have placed on our mer-
chant ships will be treated as be-
yond the pale of law and subject to
be dealt with as pirates would oe:
Armed neutrality is inenectual
enough at best; in such circum-
stances and in the face of such pre-
tentions it is worse than ineffectual;
it is likely only to produce what Is
meant to prevent; it is practically
certain to draw us into the war with
out either the rights or the effective
ness OF belligerents. There Is one
choice we cannot make, we are in
capable of making: We will not
choose the path of submission 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
no common wrongs; they cut to the
very roots of human life.
Asks Congress To
Declare State of War.
with a profound sense OF the SOL
emn and even tragical character OF
the step l am taking and of the grave
responsibilities which it involves, but
in unhesitating obedience to what
deem my constitutional duty, ad-
wise that the Congress declare the
recent course of the imperial Ger
man government to be in fact moth
ing less than war against the gov
eminent and people OF the United
States; that it formally accept the
status of belligerent which has thus
been thrust upon it and that 1t take
immediate steps not only TO put the
country in a more thorough state OF
defense but also to cert all its power
and employ all its resources to bring
the German empire to rms and
end the war.
Asks Money Be
Given To Allies.
''What this will involve is clear.
1t will involve the utmost practical
BILE cooperation in counsel and ac-
ton with the governments now at
war with Germany, and as incident
to that, the extension to those gov
ernments of the most liberal fnancl-
al credits, in order that our resources
may so far as possible be added to
theirs. 1t will involve the organiza-
ton and mobilization of all the ma
terial resources of the country to sup
ply the materials Of war and serve
the incidental needs Of the nation in
the most abundant and yet the most
economical and efficient way posi-
BILE. 1t will involve the immediate
full equipment Of the navy in all re-
spects but particularly in supplying
it with the best means of dealing |
with the enemy's submarines.
100000 Men
Are Asked For.
"1t will involve the immediate adj
dition to the armed forces of the |
United States already provided for
by law in case of war at least five
thousand men, who should.
in my opinion, be chosen upon the
principal Of universal liability to ser
vice, and also the authorization of
additional increments OF
equal force SD soon as they may be
needed and can be handled in train