Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-04-03
Ask. For "stat. Of War;"

make we are incapable or making, we
will not choose the path of submission
and suffer the most sacred rights OF
our people and nation to be ignored or
violated, The wrongs against which
we now array ourselves are not com
mon ones; they cut to the very roots
of human life. With the profound sense
of the solemn and even tragical char
acter Of the step am taking and OF
the grave responsibility which 1t 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
the people Of the United States; that 1t
formally accept the status Of belliger-
| ent which has been thus thrust upon
it, and that 1t take steps at once not
only to put the country in a more
Thorough state Of defense but also to
exert all power and employ all re-
sources to bring the government of the
German empire to terms and to end the
war.
Must Aid Allies. 4
| What this will involve is clear. 1t
will involve the utmost practical CO.
operation in counsel and action with
the governments now at war with Ger
many and, as incident to that, the eX-
tension to them Of the most liberal
credit financially that our resources
may so far as possible, be added to
theirs It will involve the orsaniza-
ton and mobilization of all the ma
lterial resources Of the country to sup
ply the materials of war and serve the
incidental needs of the nation in the
most abundant and yet the most eco
nomical and efficient manner possible.
1t will involve the immediate full
equipment of the navy in every way,
but particularly in supplying it with
the best means of dealing with the
submarines OF the enemy.
| Need Army Of $4,000 Men.
TT will involve the immediate addi-
ton to the armed force of the United
States provided for by law in case or
war of at least 100000 men who should
in my opinion be chosen on the princl-
pie Of universal liability to service and
also the authorization of substantial
additional equipment as they may be
needed and can be handled III training.
1T will involve, Of course, the
granting of adequate credit to the gov
eminent, to be sustained l hope, SO
| far. as they can equitably be sustained.
| by the present generation. by we'll
conceived taxation. / say sustained
SO far as may be equitaply by taxation,
because it seems to me that it would
| be most unwise to base the credit
which will now be needed entirely on
borrowed money. 1t is our duty. most
| respectfully urge to protect our peo-
pie SO far as we may against the very
serious hardships and evils which
| would arise out of the initiation which
would be produced by vast loans.
Must Cooperate With Entente.
I'm carrying out the measures by
| which these things are to be done we
| should keep in mind the wisdom OF
| interfering as little as possible in our
preparations and In the equipment of
| our own ,forces with the duty-for it
| will be a very practical duty-of sup
plying the NATIONS already at war with
lGernany with material which they can
get only from ~. Tor ,,by our assist
ance They are I'M the field and we
should help them in every way to be
effective there. b
II take the liberty Of suggesting thru
the executive departments Of the gov
eminent for the consideration of your
committees measures for the accom-
plishment Of the several objects 1 have
mentioned. I hope that it will be your
pleasure to deal with them and have
them framed and very carefully
thought out by the branch Of the gov
eminent upon which the responsibility
Of conducting the war and safeguard
| ing the nation will most directly fall.
Motives to Be Made Clear.
while we do these things. the deep
| ly m0mentous things, let us be very
clear and make very plain to all the
world what our motives are. My own
thought has not been driven from it's
habitual and normal course by the I'M
happy events Of the past two months
and I do not believe that the thought
Of the nation has been altered or
| clouded by them.
Il have exactly the same things in
mind now that L had in mind when I
uary last: the same that had in mind
WHen l. duuICSSeu lHc COHSTeSS OH lHe
3rd Of February and on the Goth of
February.
Vindicate Principles of Peace.
"Our object now as then is to vindi-
| cate the principles Of peace and justice
In the life of the world as against
selfish and autocratic power and to set
up amongst the really free and self
governed peoples Of the world such Il
concert OF purpose and Of action as will
henceforth insure the observance of
those principles. Neutrality is no
longer feasible or desirable where the
peace of the world is involved and the
freedom of its people. and the menace
OF that peace and freedom lies in the
existence of autocratic government and
by organized force which is controlled
their people. We have seen the last Of
neutrality in such circumstances.
1--WE are at the beginning Of an age
in which it will be insisted that the
same standards Of conduct and rcspon-
sibility for wrong doing shall be OBJ
served among nations and their gov
ernments that are observed among the
individual citizens of civilized states.
No Quarrel With Germany.
| I'VE have no quarrel with the Ger
man people. We have no feeling to-
wards them but one Of sympathy and
friendship. 1t was not upon their i'm
pulse that their government acted In
entering this war. 1t was not with
their previous knowledge or approval.
lit was war determined upon as
wars used to be determined upon in the
old l1nhanny DAYS when nennles were