The Dickinson press., 1917-04-07

the German submarines have been
used against merchant shipping, it is
Impossible to defend ships against
their attacks, as the law of nations
has assumed that merchantmen would
defend themselves against privateers
or cruisers, visible craft giving chase
upon the open sea.
Common Prudence.
ut is common prudence in such cir
[cumstances, grim necessity indeed, to
endeavor to destroy them before they
have shown their own intention. They
must be dealt with upon sight, if
dealt with at all. The German Gov
ernment denies the right of neutrals
to use arms at all within the areas of
the sea, which it has prescribed, even
in the defense Of right, which no
modern publicist has ever before ques-
toned their right to defend. The in
timation is conveyed that the armed
guards, which we have placed on our
merchant ships will be treated as be-
yond the pale of law, and subject to
be dealt with as pirates would be.
Armed neutrality is Intellectual enough
at best; in such circumstances and in
worse than Intellectual; it is likely once
worse than ineffectual; it is likef once
to produce what it was meant to pre-
vent; it is practically certain to draw
us into the war without either the
rights or the effectiveness of belliger-
ent.
Sacred Rights
"There is one choice we cannot
make, we are incapable of making.
~ fk1 0f h
mission and suffer the most sacred
be ignored or violated. The wrongs
against which we now array ourselves
are not common wrongs. They cut to
the very roots of human life.
"With a profound sense of the SOL
emn and even tragical character of
the step I am taking, and of the
grave responsibilities, which it in
wolves, but in unhesitating obedience
to what deem my constitutional duty
advise that the Congress declare the
recent course of the Imperial German
Government to be in fact nothing less
than war against the Government and
people of the United States; that it
formally accept the status of a be-
Iligerent, which has thus been thrust
upon it and that it take immediate
steps not only to put the country
in more thorough state of defense
but also to exert all it's power and
employ all it's resources to bring the
government of the German Empire tt
terms and end the war.
Practical Cooperation.
"What this will involve is clear. II
will involve the utmost practicable
co-opera ton in counsel and actor
with the government now at war with
Germany, and, as incident to that
the extension to those governments Of
the most liberal financial credits, ir
order that our resources may, so fa1
as possible, be added to theirs, 1t will
involve the organization and mobili'
zation of all the material resources o1
the country to supply the materials
! of war, and serve the incidental need:
of the nation in the most abundant
and yet the most economical and eff
cient way possible. It will involve thu
Immediate and full equipment of the
navy in all respects, but particularly
in supplying it with the best mean!
of dealing with the enemy's sub
marines. It will involve the immedi'
ate addition to the armed forces Of
the United States, already provided
1 for by law in case of war, at least
five hundred thousand men wht
fshould, at least in my opinion, b.