New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1917-11-09

:. impossible to defend ships agaihs
their attacks. ~ the law Of nations Ia
ssscned that n~ereAantnen would DE-
e Themselves against privsteers o.
cruisers, visible craft giving chase %,
On the , sea. 1t Ii common pru
dence In such circumstances. grim nee
essity indeed. to endeavor to destroy
them before they have shown their owr
intention. They must be dealt with ~.
o. :sght' II dealt with At all.
the German government denies thu
3 OF neutrals to use arms at al
has prescribed even in the defense Of
rights which no modern publicist has
ever before questioned their right tc
defend. The intimation IL conveyed tina
the armed guards which we have
placed on u merchant ships will be
treated as beyond the pale Of law and
subject to be dealt with a. pirates
would be. Armed neutrality IL ine6ec-
tusi enough At besty In such circum-
stances and 4. the face Of such preten-
slens II IL worse than ineRectusl, II ID
likely only to produce what II was
meant to prevent, 1t II practically GER
tsin to draw rs into war without either
the FiEhtsror the effectiveness Of the bel
iiserents. There 10 = choice we ran
not make, we are Incapable OF making
We will not choose the bath Of submits
49, uA Shc tIOSt bdCTcu TlHUt3
OF our nation and our people to b. ig-
nored or violated. The wrongs against
which we now array ourselves are no
common wrOngsJ they cut to the very
roots Of human life.
With . profound sense Of the solemn
I'M even tragical character Of the step
am taking and Of the grave response
bilities which 1t involves, but in I'M
hesitating obedience to what I deem
my constitutional duty. I 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 people Of
the United States: hat II formally &C.
cept the status Of belligerent which has
thus been thrust pom 1t; and hat 1t
take immediate steps not only to put
the country in a more thorough state
OF defense. but also to exert all Its
power and employ all Its resources to
bring the government Of the German
empire to terms and end the war.
What this will involve Is clear. II
Will involve the utmost practicable CO.
operation in counsel and action with
the governments now at war with Ger
many. and Is incident to that, the ex-
tension to those governments Of the
most liberal financial credits. in order
that our resources may SO far as pos
sible be added to theirs.
1t will involve the organization and
mobilization of all the material re-
sources of the country to supply the
materials of war and serve the Incl
dental needs Of the nation in the most
and yet the most economical
and efficient way possible.
1t will Involve the immediate full
equipment Of the navy in all respects,
but particularly in supplying It with
the hest means NJ daaltpO uith Tho ANA
my's submarines.
1t will involve the immediate addi-
ton to the armed forces Of the United
States. already provided for by law in
case of war. of at least 500, 900 men.
who should. in my opinion. be chosen
upon the principle of universal liabil-
ity to service, and also the authorize
ton Of subsequent additional incre-
ments Of equal force SO soon as they
may be needed and can be handled In
training.
1t will involve also, Of course, the
granting Of adequate credits to the
government, sustained, I hope, 50 far
~ they car equitably be sustained By
the present generation, By well-con-
ceived taxation.
say sustained so far ~ may be
equitable BY taxation. because II seems
to me that 1t would be most unwise to
base the credits, which will now be
necessary. entirely ON money borrowed.
II IL our duty, I most respectfully urge.
to protect our people, so far As we
may, against the very serious hard
ships and evils which would be likely
to arise out of the imitation which would
be produced by vast loans.
In carrying out the measures by
these things are to he accom-
we should keep constantly in
mln the wisdom Of Interfering As lit |
tie A. possible In our own preparation
and In the equipment Of our own mill
forces with the duty-for 1t will
be a very practical duty-Of supplying
the nations already at war with Ger
many with the materials which they
obtain only from us or by our as
They are In the field, and we
hOuld help them in every way to be
there.
shall Ike the liberty of sugRest-
Ing, through the several executive de-
Of the government, for the
confederation Of your committees.
the several objects I have mentioned.
hope that 1t will be your pleasure to
with them A. having been framed
after very careful thought by the
Of he government upon whom
The responsibility of conducting the
war and safeguarding the nation will
most directly fall.
While we do these things, these deep
y mOmsntous thinEs, let us be very
.Iear, and make very clear to all the
world, what our motives and our Oh
|ects are. MY own thought has not
,een driven from its habitual and nor
course by the unhappy events Of
he last two months, and ! do not be-
that the thought Of the nation
las beer altered or Oud by them. !
exactly the same things in mind
that ! had in mind when I adj
lressed the senate On the 22d Of Janu-
~ LAST the same that ! had In mind
vhen I addressed on the Sd Of
February and on the 20th Of February.
bur object now, as thea, II to vindicate
he principles of peace and Justice in
he life Of the world ~ against selfish
md autocratic power, and to set up
ImonE the really free and self-gov-
rned peoples of the world such = con-
ert Of purpose and of action as will
,%encefOrth Insure the Observance Of
hose principles.
Neutrality IL no longer feasible or
where the peace Of the world
= involved and the freedom Of its peo-
les, md the menace to that peace and
reedom lies in the existence Of auto
rattle governments. backed by Orgnn-
red force which In controlled wholly
their will, not by the Will OF their
eOple. We have seen the last Of neu-
raIity In such circumstances. We are
( the beginning Of an sGe In which II
viIl be Insisted that the same stand
rds Of conduct and OF responsibility
Dr. wrong lone shall he observed
mong nations and their government
hat are observed among the Individual
Itixens Of civilized states.
We have no quarrel with the German
eople. We have no feeling toward
hem but one Of sympathy and friend
hip. 1t was not upon their impulse
nat their government acted n enter
,g the war. 1t was not with their
knowledge or approval. 1t
as a war determined upo as wars
sed to be determined upon in the old