The Pulaskian., 1917-04-06

cooperation Wltn the BoFeIu-= e ments now at war with Germany, including liberal financial credits. Y . The president urged the organiza- Y tion of an army of at least 500,- ; GOO men, chosen upon the princi- pie of universal liability to ser vice.. The president made it clear E that no action was being taken against the Austrian government and the other nations allied with Germany.
 s. *s*s .
 President Wilson spoke in part as follows.
 .I have called the Congress into ex- traordinary session because there are serious, very serious choices of pol icy to be made, and made immediate ly. which it was neither right nor con- additionally permissible that l should assume the responsibility of making.
 No Ships Safe in Danger Zone.
 "On the third of February last 1 of licial1y laid before you the extraordi- nary announcement of the imperial German government that on and af- ter the first day of February it was its purpose to put aside all restraints of law or of humanity and use it's sub marines to sink every vessel that sought to approach either the ports of Great Britain and Ireland or the 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 she German submarine warfare earlier fin the war, but since April of last somewhat restrained the commanders of it's undersea craft in conformity with it's promise then given to us that passenger boats should not be sunk and that due warning would be given to all other vessels which is submarines might seek to destroy, when no resistance was offered or es- cape attempted, and care taken that their crews were given at least a fair chance to save their lives in their open boats.
 "The precautions taken were meag- CT and haphazard enough as was proved in distressing instance after instance in the progress of the cruel and unmanly business, but certain degree 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 warning and without thought of help or mercy for those on board, the vessels of friendly neutrals along with those of belligcrents. Even hospital ships and ships carrying relief to the sorely be reaved and stricken people of Bel gium, though the latter were provid- ed with safe conduct through the pro scribed areas by the German govern ment itself and were distinguished by unmistakable marks of identity, have been sunk with the same reckless lack of compassion or of principle
 "I was for little while unable to believe that such things would in fact be done by any government that had hitherto subscribed to the humane practices of civilized nations. Interna- tional law had its origin in the at tempt to set up some law which would be respected and observed upon the seas, where no nation had right of do minion and where lay the free high ways of the world
 Germans Making War On Mankind.
 By painful stage after stage has that law been built up with meager enough results. indeed, after all was accomplished that could be accom- plished, but always with clear view, at least of what the heart and con- science of mankind demanded. This minimum of right the German govern ment has swept aside under the plea of retaliation and necessity and be cause it had no weapons which 1t could use at sea except those which It IS impossible to employ as it is employing them without throwing to the winds all scrupIes of humanity or. Of respect for the understandings that were supposed to underlie the inter- course of the world.
 T am not now thinking of the loss of property involved, immense and serious as that is, but only of the wanton and wholesale destruction of the lives of noncombatants, men, wo- men and children, engaged in pursuits which have always, even in the dark est periods of modern history. been deemed innocent and legitimate. Property can be paid for; the lives or peaceful and innocent people can r----->-~--~-~-~------~ -----~-~------>---~-----~-