The Green Forest tribune., 1917-11-09

crimination.
 The challenge Is to all mankind Each nation must decide for itself how it will meet it. The choice we make for ourselves must be made with moderation of counsel and a temper ateness of judgment befitting our | character and our motives as nation l We must put excited feelings away Our motive will not be revenge or the | victorious assertion of the physical might of the nation. but only the win | dica on of right. of human right. Of | which we are only single champion. When l addressed the congress on the 26th of February last I thought it would suffice to assert our neutral rights with arms. our right to use tiie sea, against unlawful interference our righ to keep our people safe against unlaw- full violence. But armed neutrality it now appears Is imprac ctica ble Because submarines are in effect outlaws. when use as the German submarines have been used against merchant shipping 1t Is impossible to defend ships against their attacks, the law of nations tns assumed that merchantmen would de- fend themselves against priyateers or cruisers, visible craft giving chase up- on the open sea. It is common pru dence in such circumstances. grim nee essity indeed to endeavor to destroy them before they have shown their own intention. They must be dealt with up on sight if dealt with at all.
 The German government denies the right of neutrals to use arms at all within the areas of the sea which it has prescribed even in the defense Of rights which no modern publicst has ever before questioned their right to defend The intma ton is conveyed that the armed guards which we have placed on our merchant ships will he treated as beyond the pale of law and subject to be dealt with as pirates would be Armed neutrality Is ineffec- tuai enough at best: in such circum- stances and In the face of such prcten- SionS Ii ia worse than fnefYectunl; 1t is likely only to produce what it waS meant tn prevent; 1t is practically cer- tain to draw HIS into war without eitter the rights or the effectiveness of the bel h&erents. There Is one choice we can not make, we are incapable Of mak 1g' We will not choose the path Of submis- sion and suffer the most sacred rights of our nation and our people to be ig nored or violated. Tie wrongs against which we now array ourselves are common yyrOnGs; they cut to the very roots of human life.
 With t profound sense of the solemn and even tra%icaI character of the ster ' am taking and of the grave resp0nsi- biiities which it involves, but in un- hestating 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; that it formally ac- cept the status of belligerent which has thus been thrust upon it; and that if take immediate steps not only to put the country in a more thorough state 6pfpnSa hut al len tn 1 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 as 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
 It will involve the organiza tion 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 abundant and vet the most economical and efficient way possible.
 It will involve the immediate full equipment or unc navy in all respects but particularly in supplying it with the best means of dealing with the enc my's submarines.
 It will involve the immediate addi- tton to the armed forces of the United States, already provided for by law in case Of war, of at least 500 000 men. who should, in my opinion. be chosen upon the principle of universal lia abit- ity t0 service. and also the authoriza- tioN of subsequent additional incre- ments of equal force so soon as they may be needed and can be handled in training.
 l. will involve also, Of course. the granting of adequate credits to tac government. sustained. hope, so far as they can enuitablY be sustained ny the present generation, by weII-com- ceived taxation.
 say sustained so far as may he equitable by taxatio:4, because il seems 10 me that It would he most unsvise to base tlIe credits, which will now be necessary, entirely on money horroTed. Ii is our duty. I most respectfully urge. to protect our people, far as We u4ny, against the very Seri0us harst- ships aud evils which would be iSciy tO arise OHt of fhe imitation which would he produced Icy vast loans.
 In carrying oHt the measures by which these things are to he pIiShed we should keep constantly tn mind the wisdom of interfering as i;f-
 
 and in the equipment of our own miii- tary forces with the iuty--for it will be q very practical duty--of supplying the nations aiready at war with Ger many with ti,e materials which they can obtain only from Hs or by eur as- si~tance. They are in tine field, and should help them iii every way to be effective there.
 | shall take the liberty I suggest- Ing. through the several executive de- pnrtmentS of the government, for tie consideration Of y0Hr e0mmitteea measures fer the accomplishment of the several objects I have mentioned I hope that 1t will he your pleasure to deal with them as having been framed after very careful thought by the branch of the government upon whom inc responsibility of conducting the war and sUfeguarding the nation will most directly fall.
 While we do these things. these deep Iy momcntous thjuGs, let LIS be very clear, and make very clear to all the world, what our motives and 0b- iects are. My own though; has not been driven from ils babitual and nor nul course by the unhappy events of the last two mOnths. and dO not be- Iieve that the thought Of the nation hrS been altered or cIOuded by them. l huve exactly the same things in mind now that I had in mind when ad- dressed inc senate on the 22d Of Janu- ary Inst; the same that ! had In mind when I addressed congress on the 3d of February and on tIle 2Gth of February. Our object now, then, is tO vindicate the principles Of peace and justice io the life of the world against selfish and autocrntic power. and 10 set up
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 About Onp-eleventh of the area of Africa. some 100000 square miles