The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1917-04-05

IL Is Impossible TO defend ships I
against their attacks as the law OF
nations has assumed that merchant ;
men would defend themselves against
privateers OF cruisers, visible craft
giving chase upon the high seas. 1t ]
is common prudence in such circum-
stances, grim necessity indeed, to en-
deavor to destroy them, before they
have shown their own intention. They
must be dealt with upon sight, if
dealt with at all.
Inc German government denies the
night 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 publicist has
ever before questioned their right to
| defend.
The intimation is conveyed that the
armed guards which we have placed
on our merchant ships will be treated
as beyond the pale of law and sub
ject to be dealt with as pirates would
be-
Armed neutrality is Intellectual
enough at best; in such circumstances
and in the face of such pretensions it /.
is worse than ineffectual; it is like /
ly only to produce what it was meant
I to prevent; it is practically certain
to draw us into the war without eth
er the rights or the effectiveness of
i belligerents. There is one choice we
cannot make, we are incapable Of
!, making: We will not choose the path
of submission and suffer the most
:, sacred rights Of our nation and our
people to be ignored or violated. The
: wrongs against which We now array
ourselves are no common wrongs;
! they cut to the very roots of human
: life.
f With a profound sense Of the SOL
emn and even tragical character Of
V the step I am taking and Of the grave
7 responsibilities which it involves, but
: in unhesitating obedience to what I
|, deem my constitutional duty, l ad-
t wise that the Congress declare the re-
q fcent> course of the imperial German
V than var against the government and
: people of the United States;
s that it formally accent the status of
d belligerert which has thus been
/, thrust upon it and that it may take
h immediate steps not only to put the
d country in q more thorough state OF
t. defense but also to exert all its pow
$ er and employ all its resources tc
n bring the government Of the German
# empire to terms and end the war.
What this will involve is clear. L
% will involve the utmost practicable
It co operation in counsel ard actor
d with the governments now at wa
le With Germany. and, as incident K
l. that, the extension to those govern
,e mcnts Of the most liberal financia
h credits, il order that our resource!
D. rray so far as possible be odded t
ld theirs It VIII involve the oro1.Tl:za
le ton and mobilization Of all the ma
a. terial resources Of the country t.
w supply the materials Of war ant
RI serve the incidental needs Of the ma
H. ton in the most abundant and ye
d, the most economical and efficient wa
It, possible. It will involve the immed
of late full equipment of the navy il
m all respects, but particularly in sup
as plying it with the best means o
H. dealing with the enemy's submarines
it 1t will involve the immediate addi
Sc ton to the armed force Of the Unite
n States slreadv provided for by lay
1g in case of war at least 100000 mer
DIS who should, in nv opinion, be chose
e. upon the principle of universal liza
at bility to service, and also the author
r. ization of subsequent additional II
crements Of equal force so soon a
ss thew may be needed and can be hand
nd led in training. 1t will involve alsc
he of course, the granting of adeouat
of credits to the government, sustained
IN, [ hope, so far as they can equitabl
IT. be sustained by the present genera
he ton, by we'll conceived taxation.
nv I saw sustained so far as may b
te. equitable by taxation because it seem
of to me that it would be most unwis
lot to base the credits which will now b
ne necessary entirely on money borrow
AZ ed. 1t is our duty, I most respec
fully urge, to protect our people
MS. far as we may against the very 81
nix. rious hardships and evils which woul
ich be likely to arise out of the inflatio
Irn which would be produced by va
tn loans.
I've In carrying out the measures
the which these things are to be accon
las plished we should keep constantly
al mind the wisdom of interfering as Ii
ion tie as possible in our own preparatic
viii and in the equipment of our own mi
for itary forces with the duty-for it W
od- be a very practical duty-of suppl
ess ing the nations already at war wi
ter Germany with the materials whi
We they can obtain only from US or
)ur our assistance. They are in the fie
the and we should help them in eve
cal way to be effective there.
i'm I shall take the liberty of sugges
of ing. through the several eXecuti
ion. departments of the government f
on the consideration of your committtet
chit measures for the accomplishment
our the several objects l have mentio
ght ed. l hope that it will be your plea
in ure to deal with them as having be
our framed after very careful thought
iol- the branch of the government up
now which the responsibility of condu'
use
hen Continued on page