The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1917-04-05

1stlng between the United States and
germany. His address follows:
have called the Congress into ex-
ua-ordlnary session because there
are serious, very serious, choices Of
?olcy to be made, and made inmed
lately, which it was neither right nor
constitutionaIly permissible that l
should assume the responsibility of
making.
On the 3rd of February last I offic
Tally laid before you the extraordin-
any announcement of the imperial
German government that on and af-
ter the first day of February it was
Its purpose to put aside all restraints
of law OF of humanity and use it's
submarines to sink every vessel that
sought to approach either the ports
/ Of Great Britain and Ireland or the |
western coasts of Europe or any of !
the ports controlled by the enemies
of Germany within the Mediterrane-
an. That had seemed to be the OBJ
| ]ect Of the German submarine war
fare earlier in the war, but since
April of last year, the imperial GOV
;: ernment had somewhat restrained the
:! commanders of it's undersea craft in
> conformity with its promises then
, given to us that passenger boats
should not be sunk and that due warn
: ing would be given to all other YES
: sells which its submarines might seek
: to destroy, when no. resistance was
l offered or escape attempted and care
: taken that their crews were given
+: at least q fair chance to save their
lives in their open boats. The pre-
cautions taken were meager and hap
, hazard enough as was proved in dis
| tressing instance after instance in
1 its progress Of the cruel and unman-
e ly business, but a certain degree of
y restraint was observed.
The new policy has swept every
j restriction aside. Vessels of every
n kind, whatever their flag, their char
n acter, their cargo, their destination,
aatheir errand, have been ruthlessly sent
= to the bottom without warning and
d without thought of help or mercy for
: those on board the vessels of friendly
: neutrals along with those of bellig-
erents. Even hospital ships and ships
n carrying relief to the sorely bereaved
n and stricken people of Belgium,
X though the latter were provided with
e safe conduct through the prescribed
e areas by the German government it
/ self and were distinguished by unmis-
!
s sunk with the same reckless lack OF
Il compassion or Of principle.
It I was for little while unable tC
" believe that such things would in fact
5 be done by any government that hat
d: hitherto subscribed to the humane
practices Of civilized nations. In
ternation law had It's origin in the
attempt to set up some law which
would be respected and observed up
A. on the seas, where no nation haE
m right of dominion and where lay th'
free highways Of the world. By pain
td ful stage after stage has that Law
v. been built up with meagre enough
n results, indeed, after all was accom-
OF plished that could be accomplished
ce but always with a clear view, at least
e. of what the heart and conscience o
as mankind demanded This minimum
III of right the German government ha
G. swept aside under the plea Of retail
esi iation and necessity and because
ad had no weapons which it could US
at sea except these which it is i'm
OF possible to employ as it is employing
nd them without throwing to the wind
. all scruples of humanity or of re
it. spect for the understandings tha
or were supposed to underlie the inter
oh course OIL Jno WOTlu.
he l am not now thinking of the los
'r-- of property involved, immense an
let serious as that is, but only of tn
the lives of on-combatants, mel
women ard children, engaged in pu1
OF suits which have always, even in tn
darkest periods of modern 'histor
he been deemed innocent and legitimat
ro- Property can be paid for: the lives {
M peaceful and innocent people cannt
IN be. The present German submarir
lrd warfare against commerce is wa
lin fare against mankind.
D. It is a war against all nation
ry, American ships have been sun
INT American lives taken, in ways whie
[ge it has stirred US very deeply to lea1
i've of, but the ships and people Of ot]
ar er neutral and friendly nations hay
aty been sunk and overwnelmed in tt
at waters in the same way. There b.
the been no discrimination. The cha
are lenge is to all mankind. Each natlt
ny must decide for itself how it W
uld meet it. The choice we make f
to ourselves must be made with no
ers GRAFTON of counsel and temperature
ard cf iudgment befitting our charact
the and our motives as a nation. v
md must put excited feeling away. O
motives will not be revenge or t
victorious assertion of the physic
ses might of the nation. but only the vi
dication of right, of human right:
4. which we are only a single champie
lille When I addressed the CONGRESS-
ere the 26th of February last, [ thoue
the that it would suffice to assert o
ing, neutral rights with arms, our. rig
: is to use the seas against unlawful
reference, our right to keep G
people safe against unlawful vi
ber- ence. But armed neutrality, it n
rive appears, is impracticable. Becar
t. submarines are in effect outlaws VIII