The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1917-11-10

rrfmina alton.
The challenge In TO all mankind
Each nation must decide for itself how
1t will meet il. The choice we max,
for ourselves must be made with a
moderation OF counsel and a temper
ateness Of Judgment BETTING our
character and our motives as a nation
We must put excited feelings away
Our motive will not be revenge or tn
victorious assertion of the physica
might Of the nation. but only the win
dica IN of right. of human right. Of
yhich we are only a single champion.
When / addressed the congress on
the 26th OF February last l thought il
would suffice to assert our neutral right
with arms. our right 10 use the sea
against unlawful interference. our RICH
to keep our people safe against unlnw-
full violence. But armed neutrality. II
now appears. is impracticable. Because
submarines are In effect outlaws. whrr
use the German submarines have
been used against merchant shipping
II Is impossible to defend ships againS'
their attacks. rs the law of nations hns
assumed that merchantmen would de-
fend themselves against privnteers or
cruisers, visible craft giving chase up
on the open sea. 1t is common pru
essity indeed. to endeavOr TO destroy
them before they have shown their own
intention. They must be dealt with up
on sight. II dealt with nj all.
The German government denies th'
right of neutrals to use arms at all
within the areas OF the sea which II
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
subject to be dealt with as pirates
would be. Armed neutrality II inefFec-
tuaI enough at best; In such circum-
stances and In the face Of such preten-
sions IL IL worse than inefectuai; IL IL
likely only to produce what IL WINS
meant to prevent, II n practically GER
tain to draw us into war without either
the rights or the effectiveness Of the bel
ligerents. There II one choice we can
not make. we ARE incapable Of making
We will not choose the path OF submits
sion and suffer the most sacred rights
of our nation and our people to be ig-
nored or violated. The wrongs against
which we now array ourselves are no
common wrongs; they cut to the very
roots Of human life.
With q profound sense Of the solemn
and even tragical character of the step
! am taking and of the grave RESPONSE
bilifies which IL Involves. but in I'M
hesitating obedience to what l 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
he Int hat " o.
cept the status of belligerent which has
thus been thrust upon IL; and that il
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. 1t
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.
II 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
abundant and yet the most economical
and efficient way possible.
1t will involve the immediate full
equipment or the navy in all respects
but particularly in supplying IL with
the best means Of dealing with the enc
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 500 600 men
who should. in my opinion. be chosen
upon the principle OF universal iahil-
ity 90 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.
IL will Involve also, Of course, the
granting of adequate credits to the
government, sustained. ! hope, 80 far
~ they can equitably be sustained by
ceived taxation.
I say sustained so far n may be
equitable by taxation, because II seems
to me that IL would he most unwise to
base the credits. which will now be
necessary. entirely on money borrowed
IL In our duty, ] most respectfully urge
70 protect our people, SO far as we
may. against the very serious hard
ship. and evils which would he likely
TO arise out of the imitation which would
he produced by vast loans.
In carrying out the measures by
which these things are to he accom-
plished we should keep constantly In
mind the wisdom Of interfering As lit
tie M possible In our own preparation
and In the equipment Of our own MILL
tary forces with the duty-for II will
be n very practical duty-of supplying
the nations already at war with Ger
many with the materials which they
can obtain only from ms or by our as
sistance. They are In the field. and we
should help them In every way to be
effective there.
I shall take the liberty q suggest.
ing, through the several executive de-
partments Of the government. for the
consideration Of your committees
measures for the accomplishment ot
the several objects ] have mentioned
] hope that II will be your pleasure Il
deal with them as having been framed
after very careful thought by the
branch Of the government upon whom
the responsibility of conducting the
war and safeguarding the nation will
most directly fall.
While we do these things, these deep.
ty momentous things, let Us he very
clear. and make very clear TO all tn,
world. what our motives and our oh
jects are. MY own thought has mo-
been driven from its habitual and nor.
NAL course by the unhappy events o.
the last two months. and ] do not be-
Iieve that the thought OF the natior
has been altered or clouded by them.
have exsctly the same things In min,
now that I had In mind when I ad
dressed the senate on the I'D Of Janu
airy last; the same that ! had In mins
when I addressed congress on the Sd o
February and On the 18th Of February