The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1917-04-03

This minimum OF right the Ger
man government has swept aside I'M
the plea of retaliation n neces-
sity. and because II had no weapons
which IL could use at sea except these,
which IL Is impossible TO employ AS u
Is employing them without
To the winds all scruples Of humanity
or of the respect for the understand
ings that were supposed to underlio
the intercourse Of the world.
Lives Of Innocent Taken.
~ am not thinking Of the loss OF
property involved. immense and seri-
NJ as this Is. but only of the wanton
aud wholesale destruction ~ h lives
~ n.combatants. men, and
children. engaged In pursuits which
have always, even In the darkest
periods Of modern history. been deem-
ed innocent and legitimate. Property
IA be paid for. the lives of peaceful
and innocent people cannot be.
The present German submarine
warfare against commerce Is a war
fare against mankind. II Is a war
against all nations. American hips
have been sunk, American lives taken,
In way which II has stirred Us very
deeply TO learn Of, but the ships and
people OF other neutral and friendly
nations have been sunk and over
whelmed in the waters In the same
way. There has been no discrim!na-
ton. The challenge IS 70 all man
kim
Each nation must decide for itself
how II will meet il. The choice We
make for ourselves must be made with
u moderation OF counsel and a lem
pe~rateness of Judgment befitting our
character and our motives as a nation.
We must 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 a single champion.
when | addressed the congress on
the 26th Of February. last. I thought
that il would suffice to essert our
neutral rights with arms, our right 10
use the seas against unlawful inter
ference cur right to keep our people
safe against unlawful violence. But
armed neutrality. II now appears. Is
impractlcable
"Because submarines are in effect
outlaws when used as the German
submarines have been used againsi
merchant shipping, II IS impossible to
defend hopes against their attacks az
the law OF nations has assumed that
merchantmen would defend them
selves Against privatcers or CRUISER
visible craft giving chase upon the
oppn sea. II Is a mmO prudence
IN such circumstances grin neces-
sity indeed. t. endoavor to destrof
them before they have shown their
own intention. They must DE dealt
with upon sight II dealt with at ali.
The German government denies the
right Of ncutrals 10 use arms at all
within the areas Of the seas which II
has prescribed. even in the defense
Of rights which no modern publclst
has ever before questioned their right
to defend Tho intimation H. convey
ed tina the armed guards which We
hay. placed on our merchant ship
will he treated as beyond the pale 81
law aud subject to be dealt with ts
pirates would be. Armed neutrality
is Intellectual enough n best, in sucii
circumstances and IN the face Of such
-oretcusious II IL worse than inef-
fcytual. u II likely ono to produce
what II was meant TO prevent; II Is
practically certain To draw us into the
war without either the rights or tht
effectiveness of bclligcrents.
There II one chcicc W cannoI
make. We ar incapable of making
we viii not Choosc the path OF SUBJ
mission and suffer the most sacred
rights Of our nation and our people "a
he, ignored or violated. Tho wrong
against which We now array oursciNe-
arc not common WRONGS; they Cmt q
/ the very rypots Of human life"
with a profound sense of sol
cmn and oven tragicsl character oi
the step I am tnking and ~ the grave
responsibilities which Il involves. bu,
! in unhcsitating obedience To what
deem my constitutional duty, ! adNis'
that the congress declare h recen'
| course Of the imperial German gov
eminent 10 be IN fact nothing les
| than war against the government ono