The Monticellonian., 1917-11-09
PRESIDENTS WAR
 MESSAGE CARBLED
Full Text Withheld From People Of Germany by kaiser's
 Government.
PASSAGES WERE WERE SUPPRESSED
Report of Wolff Telegraph Bureau, Unofficial Mouthpiece of Kaiser, Show's Wilson's Address
 Distorted.

The German people never had an ops S~tunity to read the full text of the address delivered by President Wilson before congress on April ?. 1917. in which the president called upon con ssress to declare the existence of the aate of war then being waged upon the United States by Germany. In the copies of this address which were per ritted to be published in Germany, many passages were suppressed. ac- cording to the committee on public information of the United States gov ernment. The passages suppressed in- ciuded those in which the president told why the United States had been forced to enter into the war against Germany in protection of its rights and ia order to make the world safe for democracy.
 The committee on public information has issued copy of the presidents address, showing the passages which were suppressed by the Wolff Tele- graph bureau, which Is under govern Inent censorship and has been consist ently employed by the German govern 'nent for the promulgation of its off cial opinions. The following is an of iicial copy of the presidents address with the passages suppressed by the Wolff Telegraph bureau shown in bold faced type:
 Gentlemen of the Congress:
 ho
 ordinary session because there are se- rious very serious. choices of policy to hs made. and made Immediately. which It IS neither right nor constitutionally permissible that should assume the re- sponsibIlity of making.
 On the Sd of February last I officially laid before you the extraordinary an nouncement Of the Imperial German government that on and after the lst day of February 1t was its purpose to put aside all restraints of law or of hu- nanity 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 ar any of the ports controlled by the enemies of Germany within the Medi- tsrranean 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 Rad somewhat restrained the comman- ders of It's undersea craft, in conform tty with it's promise. then given to us that passenger boats should not be sunk, and that due warning would he given to all other vessels which its sr marines might seek to destroy, when no resistance was offered or es- cape attempted. and care taken that their crews were given st least fair chance to save their lives In their open boats The precautions taken were Hesrer and haphazard enough. as was preved In distressing instance after iastnnce in the progress of the cruel and unman1y business. hut n certain de- gree of restraint wns observed.
 The new policy has swept every re- striction aside. Vessels of every kind whatever their flag. their character their cargo. their destination. their rrrnnd. 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- trals along with those of belligerents Even hospital ships and ships carrying relief to the sOreiy bereayed and striek- 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 unmistakable marks sf 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 ke done by any government that had hitherto subscribed to the humane practices of civilized nations. Inter sstfouaI law had It's origin in the at tempt to set up some law which would be respected and observed upon the sess. where 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 a clear view. at least, of what the heart asd conscience of mankind demanded.
 This minimum of right the German government has swept aside under the ples of retaliation and necessity and because it had no weapons which it oouid use at sea except these which it is impossible to employ as it Is em- pleying them. without throwing to the wind all seruples of humanity or of respect for the understandings that were supposed to underiie 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 want m and wholesale destruction Of the lives of non-combatants. men. women and chil- dreH. engaged In pursuits which have always, even in the darkest periods of modern history. been deemed innocent and legitimate. Property can he paid for; the lives of peaceful and innocent people cannot be. The present Germa n submarine warfare against commerce is a warfare against manki nd.
 It is war against all nations. Amer lean ships have been sunk. American lives taken. in ways which It has stirred very deeply te learn of but the ships nad people of other neutral and friendly nations have been sunk
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