The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1917-03-01
Gentlemen of the Congress:

dressing 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 Congress so that neither counsel
nor action shall run at cross purposes be-
tween us.
On the third of February, | officially in
formed you of the sudden and unexpected
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 subma-
rlne operations against all wheth-
er of belligerents or of ~neutarls that should
seek to approach Great Britain and Ireland,
the Atlantic coasts of Europe or the harbors
of the eastern Mediterranean and to conduct
these operations without regard to the estab-
llshed restrictions of international practice,
without regard to any consideration of hui
mainly which might interfere with their OBJ
ject. That policy was forthwith put into
practice. 1t has now been in active execution
for nearly four weeks.
It's practical results are not fully dis
closed. The of other neutral ma
tons is suffering severely but not perhaps
very much more severely than it was already
suffering before tie first of February when
the new policy of Tie imperial German gov
eminent was put into operation. We have
asked the cooperation of the other neutral
governments to prevent those depTedationS,
but / fear none of them thought it wise to
join us in any common 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 been sunk.
Two American vessels have been sunk,
the HouSatonic and the Lyman M. Law The
case of the Housatonic, which was carrying
foodstuffs consigned to London, was essen
TALLY like the case of the Frye in which, it
will be recalled, the German government ad-
mitted liability for damages and the lives of
the crew, as in the case of the Frye were
safeguarded with reasonable care.
The case of the Law, which was carrying
box slaves to Palermo, disclosed a ruthless
ness of method which deserves grave con-
demnation, but was accompanied by no cir
cumstances which might not have been ex-
pected at any time in connection with the
use of the submarine against merchantmen
as the German government has used it.
U. S. Shipping Tied Up.
In sum, therefore, the situation we find
ourselves in with regard to the actual con-
duct of the German submarine warfare
against and its effects upon our
own ships and people is substantially the
same as it was when | addressed you on the
third of February except for the tying 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
protection and the very serious congestion of
our which has resulted, a conges-
ton which is growing rapidly more and more
serious every day.
This in itself might presently accomplish
in effect what the new German submarine or
ders were meant to accomplish so far as we
are concerned. We can only say, therefore,
that the overt act which | have ventured to
hope the German commanders would in fact
avoid has not occurred.
But while this is happily true it must be
admitted that certain additional indications
and expressions of purpose on the part of the
German press and the German authorities
which have increased rather than lessened
the impression that if our ships and our peo-
pie are spared it will be because Of fortunate
circumstances or because the commanders of
the German submarines which they may
happen to encounter exercise an unexpected
discretion and restraint rather than because
of the instructions under which these COM
manders are acting.
Imprudent to be Unprepared.
It would be foolish to deny that the stu
alton is fraught with the gravest possibili-