New Britain herald., 1917-04-03

many Stirs CongressAn
 Army of 50O,OOO Urged.
 Owing to the late hour at which President Wilson's address to con- gross was received last night, 1t was not practicable to print the message in toto, although the significant, passages were presented to Herald readers in an extra edition published at 1O:45 o'clock. The preaideut's ad- dEess, verbatim, follows:
 Inc Address.
 Washington. April 3.-The address delivered by President Wilson to a joint session of congress late last night is as follows:
 "I have called the congress into cx- traordinary session because there are serious, very serious choices of policy to be made, and made immediately, which 1t was neither right nor con- additionally permissible that should assume the responsibility of making.
 "On the third of February last, I officially laid before you the extra or dinary announcement of the ImQerial German government that on and after the first day of February 1t was its purpose to put aside all restraints of law or of humanity and use its sub marines to sink every vessel that sought to approach either the ports of Great Britain and Ireland or tho western coasts of Europe or any of the ports controlled by the enemies of Germany within the Mediterranean. That had seemed to be the object of the German submarine warfare ear Her in the war. but since April of last year the imperial government had somewhat restrained the commanders If its under sea craft in conformity with its promise then given to us that passenger boats should not be sunk. and that due warning would be given to all other vessels which it's subma- rines might seek to destroy, when no resistance was offered or escape, att tempted and care taken that their crews were given at least fair chance to save their lives in the open boats. The precautions taken were meagre and haphazard enough, as was proved in distressing instance after instance in the progress of the cruel and un-
 
 of restraint was observed.
 ."The new policy has swept every restriction aside. Vessels of every kind. whatever their flag, their char acter. their cargo, their destination, their errand, have been ruthlessly sent to the bottom without warming, and without thought of help or mercy for those on board. the vessels of friendly nautrals along with those of belligerents.
 Even hospital ships and ships car- rying relief to the sorely bereaved and stricken people of Belgium. though the latter were provided with safe conduct through the prescribed areas by the German government it. self. and were distinguished by unmis- takable marks of identity. have been sunk with the same reckless lack of compassion or principle. was un- able for little while to believe that such, things would in fact be done by any government that had hithert0 subscribed to the humane practices of civin1kd nations. Inter- national law Ind its origin in the att tempt to set up some law. which would be respected and observed upon the seas. where no nation&had right of dominion and where lay the free highways of the world By painful stage after stage has that law been built up with meagre enough results, indeed. after all was accomplishUd that could be accomplished, but d. ways with a clear view. at least. of what the heart and conscience bfsmaa- kind demanded. sIalls: M This minimum of right the <3sral i1 government has swept aside nndcf the plea of retaliation and necessity and because 1t had no weapons which 1t could use at sea except these. which 1t is impossible to employ as it Is employing them without throwing to tho winds all scruples of hu- mal or of respect for the under standings that were supposed to un- derlie the intercourse of the world "I am not now thinking of the loss of property involved. immense and serious as that Is. but only of the wanton and wholesale destruc- l ton of the lives of non-com batants, men, women and children engaged in pursuits which have always, even in the darkest periods of modern his- tory, been deemed innocent and le- I, gitimate. Property can be paid for; the lives of peaceful and innocent people cannot be.
 ''The present German warfare against commerce is a warfare against mankind. It issa war against Ill nations. American ships have been ] sunk. American lives taken, in ways 1 which have stirred us very deeply to learn of, but the ships and people of other neutral and friendly nations l have been sunk and overwhelmed in 1 the waters in the same way. There 1 has been no discrimination. The challenge is to all mankind. Each ] nation must decide for itself how it l will meet it. The choice we make 1 for ourselves must be made with a m of] era t}o,, Of counsel and a temDer-