Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-04-03
President Appears
Before Joint Session
Of Congress at Night

OF property involved. immense and scri-
Gus as that is, but only of the wanton
and Wholesale destruction of the lives
OF noncombatants. men. women and
children. engaged in pursuits which
nave always, even in the darkest
periods of modern history, been deemed
innocent and legitimate. Property can
be paid for; the lives OF peaceful and
innocent people cannot be. The pres
ent German submarine warfare against t
commerce. is a warfare against man
kind.
1T is war against all nations
American ships have been sunk. Ameri-
can lives taken, in ways which il has
stirred us very deeply to learn of. but
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 discrim-
ination. The challenge is to all man
kind. Each nation must decide for tt
self how it will meet it. The choice
We make for ourselves must be made
with moderation of counsel and a
tcmprratcncss of judgment hciitting our
character and our motives as nation
We mus, put excited feeling away.
our motive will not be revenge or the
Victorious assertion Of the physical
might of the nation. but only the vim
dication of right. Of human right. Of
which we are only II single champion
ARMED NEUTRALITY
IS IMpRACTiCA
When addressed the Congress on
the Goth of February last. thought
that II would suffice TO assert our neu
tral rights with arms; our right TO use
inc ,l,,,,
our right TO keep our people safe
against unlawful violence: but armed
neutrality. IL now appears, is imprac-
ticable. Because submarines are in
effect. outlaws, when used as the Ger
man submarines have been used against
merchant shipping. it is impossible to
defend ships against their attacks as
The law of nations has assumed that
against privatcerS or cruisers. visible
craft giving chase upon the high seas
u Is common prudence in such cir
cumStanccS-Grim necessity. indced-to
cndeavor to destroy them before they
have shown their own intention. They
must he dealt with upon sight. il deal,
with at all
''rhe German government denies the
right Of ncu;rals TO use arms at all
within the areas of the sea which il
has prescribed. even in the defense OF
rights which no modern nublicist has
ever before questioned their right to
defend. The intimation 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 bc.
Armed neutrality is Intellectual
enough at best: in such circumstances
and in the face Of such prcicnsions. it
is worse than Intellectual: il is likely
only to produce what ii was meant to
prevent: it is practically certain to
draw MS into the war without either
the rights or tho effectiveness Of bel
lircrcnts. Thcr" is ono choic" we can
not make. W" are incapable OF ma king:
wc viii not choose tho path OF sub
mission and suffer the most sacred
rights OF our nation and our pcupl. to
be ignored or violated. Thc wrongs
against which we now array ourselves
are no common wrongs; they cut to
the very roots Of human life.
NOTHING LESS THAN WAR
AGAINST UNITED STATES
with profound sense Of the
solemn and even iraSical character of
The step am taking, and OF the grave
responsibilities which il involves, but
in unhcstating obedience to what I
deem my constitutional duty, | advise
that the Congress declare the rcccn,
course OF the imperial German govern
mcnt To be. in fact, nothing less than
w:,r against the government and pco-
llc Of tho United States: that II formal
ly accept the status OF hcliigrrcnt
which has thus been thrust upon II
and that 1t take immediate steps not
only to put the country in more
,continucd on Second Pasc)