Meade County news., 1917-11-08
PORTIONS OF PRESIDENT WILSON'S WAR
MESSAGE SUPPRESSED IN GERMANY
That Kaiser Did Not Dare Pem Full Text OF Address to Reach
His People Shown, 1t Declared, by Distorted
Reports Published.

That the German government did
not dare permit the publication In that
country of the full text Of President
Wilson's address to congress on April
2, 1917, In which the president called
upon congress to declare the existence
of a state of war with the imperial
German government is shown by copies
of the message as published In Ger
many which have been obtained by the
committee on public information of the
United States government.
The Wolff Telegraph bureau, which
Is not only under censorship control of
the German government but has been
used as a seml-officiaI mouthpiece Of
the government, in it's report Of Presi-
dent Wilson's address, suppressed
many passages in which the president
outlined the conditions which forced
this country to defend itself against
the attacks of the German government.
As result the message was presented
to the German people in an abridged
and distorted form.
In the following copy Of the presi-
dents address, Issued by the commit
tee on public information, the passages
suppressed by the Wolff Telegraph bu-
reau are shown in bold-faced type.
Gentlemen of the Congress:
/ have called the congress into extra.
ordinary session because there are Sc
rious, very serious, choices of policy to
be made, and made Immediately, which
II is neither right nor constitutionally
permissible that should assume the re-
sponslbility of making.
On the Sd of February last officially
laid before you the extraordinary an
nouncement OF the Imperial German
government that on and after the list
day of February II was its purpose to
put aside all restraints OF law or OF hu
manity and use Its 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 Medi-
terranean. That had seemed to be the
object OF the German submarine war
fare earlier in the war, but since April
OF last year the Imperial government
had somewhat restrained the comman-
ders of its undersea craft, in conform
ity with its promise then given to us,
that passenger boats should not he
sunk, and that due warning would he
given to all other vessels which Its
submarines might seek to destroy,
when no Resistance was offered or es-
cape attempted, and care taken that
their crews were given mt least n fair
chance to save their lives In their open
boats. The precautions taken were
menger and hnphnznrd enough, ms was
proved I'm distressing instance after
instance In the progress of the cruel
and unmanIy business, but n certain de-
gree of restraint was observed.
The new policy has swept every re-
stricton aside. Vessels Of every kind
Whatever their flag, their character
their cargo, their destination, their
errnnd. have been ruthlessly sent to
the bottom without warning and with
out thought of help or mercy for those
on board, the vessels of friendly neu-
trails along with those of belligerents.
Even hospital ships and ships cnrryInE
relief to the sOrely berenved and strick-
en- people of belgium, though the lat
ter were provided with safe conduct
through the prescribed areas by the
German government itself and were
distinguished by unmIstaknble marks
of identity, have been sunk with the
same reckless lack of compassion or
OF principle.
was for little while unable to
believe that such things would In fact
be done by amy government that had
hitherto subscribed to the humane
practices of civilized nations. Inter-
national law hnd Its origin in the at
tempt to set up some law which would
he respected and observed upon the
seas, where no nation had right of
dominion and where lay the free high
ways OF the world. BY painful stage
after stage has that law been built up
with meager enough results, indeed.
after all was accomplished that could
be accomplished. but always with n
clear view, at Ienst, of what the heart
and conscience OF mankind demanded.
This minimum of right the German
government has swept aside under the
plea OF retaliation and necessity and
because II had no weapons which 1t
could use at sea except these. which
1t is impossible to employ as 1t is en-
ploying them. without throwing to the
wind all scruples OF humanity or or
respect for the understandings that
were supposed to underlle the inter-
course OF the world.
am not now thinking of the loss OF
property involved, immense and serious
as that is but only OF the wanton and
wholesale destruction of the lives of
non n-combatants. men. women, and chill
dren, engaged In pursuits which have
nIways, 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 present German
submarine warfare against commerce
is a warfare against mankind.
1t is war against all nations. Amer
icnn ships have been sunk, American
lives taken, In ways which II has
stirred us very deeply to learn of, but
the ships mad people OF other neutral
and friendly nations have been sunk
md overwhelmed in the waters in the
same way. There has been no dis
crIminatiOn.
The challenge Is to all mankind.
Each nation must decide foT itself how
II will meet It, The choice we make
for ourselves must be made with a
moderation OF counsel and a temper
ateness OF judgment befitting our
character and our motives as n nation.
We must put excited feelings 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 a single champion.
When / addressed the congress on