Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-04-03
The President S Address
Continued from Page One)

Continued from Page One)
submarine warfare earlier in the war,
but since April of last year the Impe-
rial government had somewhat re-
strained the commanders of its under
sea craft in conformity with its prom
Use then given to US that passenger
boats should not be sunk, and that due
warning would he given to all other
vessels, which its submarines might
seek 10 destroy, when no resistance was
offered or escape attempted, and care
taken that their crews were given at
least a fair chance to save their lives
in the open boats. The precautions TAX
en- were meagrn and haphazard enough
as was proved in distress enough, in
stance after instance in the progress of
the cruel and unmanly business, but
certain degree of restraint was OBJ
served.
Restrictions Swept Aside
The new policy has swept every re-
striction aside. Vessels of every kind,
whatever their flag, their character,
their cargo. their destination. their
errand, 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 belliger-
ents Even hospital ships and ships car
ryins relief to the sorely bereaVed and
/ stricken people of Belgium. though
the latter were provided with safe con-
duct through the prescribed areas by
the German government itself and
iicti Nv ,ie+o lyo, 10
marks of identity. have been sunk with
the same reckless lack of compassion
OF of principle. | was for a little while
unable to believe that such things
would be done by any government that
mad hitherto subscribed to the hui
name practices of civilized nations.
international law had its origin in
the attempt 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 b. painful stage aft
er stage has that law been built up with
meagre 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 conscience
of mankind demanded.
This minimum of right the German
e, vernment has swept aside under the
plea of retaliation and necessity and be-
cause it had no weapons which il could
use at sea except these. which it is i'm
possible to employ as it is employing them
without throwing to the winds all scruples
of humanity or of respect fer the under
standings that were supposed to under
! lie the intercourse of the world.
! Il am not now thinking of the loss Of
/ property involved, immense and serious
J as that it. but only of the wanton and
| Wholesale destruction of the lives of nom
! combatants. men. women and children,
/ engaged in pursuits which have always,
evening in the darkest periods of modern
history been deemed innocent and legit-
i innate. Property can be paid for; the
lives Of peaceful and innocent people
cannot be.
Warfare AGAINST Mankind
The present German warfare against
commerce is a warfare against mankind.
| 1t is a war against all nations. American
ships have been sunk, American lives
| taken in ways which it has stirred us
=, very deeply to learn Of hut the ships
and people of other neutral and friendly
nations have been sunk and overwhelmed
/ in the waters in the same way. There
\ has been no discrimination The chal-
/ lenge is to all mankind Each nation
must decide fer itself how it will meet it.
| The choice we make for ourselves mus,
| be made with a moderation of counsel
and Il temperatures of judgment betit-
4 -,
| a nation. We must put excited feeling
away. Our motive will not be revenge
/ or the victorious assertion of the phys
| ical might of the nation, but only the
vindication of right, of human right, of
which We are only a single champion.
| When addressed the Congress on
! the twenty-sixth of February last
| thought it would suffice to assert our
neutral rights with arms. our right to
use the seas against unlawful interfer-
/ ence, our right to keep our people safe
against unlawful violence. But armed
neutrality. it now appears. is mprac-
ticable. Because submarines are in eff
! feet outlaws when used as the German
! submarines have been used against mer-
chant shipping it is impossible to de-
! fend ships against their attacks. as the
/ law of nations has assumed that mer-
chantmen. would defend themselves
against privateerS or cruisers, visible
craft giving chase upon the open sea. 1t
, is common prudence in such circum-
stances grim necessity indeed to en-
! deavor to destroy them before they have
shown their own intention. They must
be dealt with upon sight, if dealt with
! at all.
The German government 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 rights
which no modern publcist has ever be-
fore questioned their right to defend
The intmation is conveyed that the
armed guards which we have placed on
our merchant ships will be treated as
beyond 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
the face of such pretensions, it is worse
than ineffectual: it is likely to produce
what was meant to prevent; it is prac.
tically certain to draw US into the wal
without either the rights or the effec.
tiveness of belligerents.
There is one choice we cannot make
we are incapable of making; we will not
49,.