The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1917-02-26

President Wilson spoke as follows:
Gentlemen of the congress, | have
again asked the privilege of addressing
You because we are moving through
critical times during which it seems
to me to be my duty to keep in close
touch with the houses of congress SO
that neither council nor action shall /
run at cross purposes between us.
On the third of February / officially |
informed you of the sudden and unex-
| pected action of the Imperial German
| government in declaring its intention
to disregard the promises it had made
| to this government in April last and
undertake immediate submarine opera
tlons against all commerce, whether of
belligerents or of neutTals that should
seek to approach Great Britain and
+ Ireland, the Atlantic coast of Europe,
/ or the harbors of the Eastern Mediter
ranean, and to conduct those opera
tions without regard to the established
restrictions of international practice,
without regard to any consideration of
humanity even which must interfere
with their object That policy was
forthwith put into practice.
1t has now been in active exhibition
suits are not fully disclosed. The com
meree of other neutral nations is suf
fering severely, but not perhaps very
much more severely that it was already
suffering before the first of February,
when the new policy of the Imperial
government was put into operation. We
have asked the cooperation of the other
neutral governments TO prevent these
depredations, but l fear none of them
has thought it wise to join us in any
common course of action.
Our own commerce has suffered, is
suffering, rather, in apprehension than
in fact, rather because so many of our
ships are timidlv keeping to their home
ports than because American ships have
been sunk
Two American vessels have been sunk
the Housatonic, and the Lyman NJ. Law.
The case of the Housatonic which was
carrying foodstuffs consigned to a Lon
don firm, was essentially like the case
of the Frye, in which it viii be recalled
the German government admitted its
liability for damages, and the lives of
the crew as in the case of the Frye were
safeguarded by reasonable care. The
case of the Law, which was carrying
lemon-box staves to Palermo, disclosed
ruthlessness of method which de-
serves grave condemnation, but was ac-
companied by no circumstances which
/ might have been expected at any time
] in connection with the use of the sub
marine against merchantmen as the
German government has used it.
Therefore, we find that, with regard
T to the actual conduct of the German
submarine warfare against commerce
and its effects upon our own ships and
people il is substantially the same that
it was when | addressed YOU on the
r third of February except for the tying
up of our shipping in our own ports
f because of the unwillingness of oul
n ship-owners to risk their vessels al
sea without insurance or adequate pro
: lection and the very serious eonges
II tion of our commerce which has re
l. suited, congestion which is growing
rapidly more and more seriously every
h day. This il itself might 1resentll
;, accomplish in effect what the new Ger
man submarine orders were m1ant t
accomplish so far as we are concerned
IS We can only say, therefore, that TIL
70 overt act which | have yentured e
S hope the German commanders woult
l. in fact avoid has not occurred, bu
whiln this is happily true it must b,
admitted that there have been addi
IS tional indications and expressions O.
i purpose on the part of the German
,r press and the German authorities whicl
e have increased rather than lessened tn
impression that if our ships and on
rs people are spared it will be because o
" fortunate circumstances or bccauS
ar the commanders of the German sub
n marines which they may expec
!, to encounter exercise an uneXpecte
~ discretion and restraint rather thai
III because of the instructions unde
ar which the commanders are acting.
1t would be foolish to deny that th
no situation is fraught with the graves
possibilities and dangers. No thought
q full man can fail to see that the neces
V sity for definite action may come a
at any time if we are in fact and not i
m word merely to defend our clementar
=. rights as a neutral nation. 1t woul
= hc most imprudent to be unprepareC
! cannot in such circumstances be III
re mindful of the fact that the expirf
ct tion of the term of the present col
80 gress is Immediately ut hand by col
= stitutional limitations and that it wouI
'h in all likelihood require an unusu;
mt length of time to assemble and organic
no the congress which is to succeed it.
NO | feel that / ought, in view of tha
"a fact, to obtain from you full and imm,
date assurance of the authority whic
I may need at any moment to exercis
AT No doubt | already possess that author
re- ty without special warrant of law b
the plain implication of my constitu
,ra tional duties and powers but | preft
80 in the present circumstances not to az
- upon general implications l wish to fe
lal that the authority and the power of Il
IS. congress are behind me i'll whatever
a may become necessary for me to do. "
!. are jointly the servants to the peop
~" and must act together and in the
~ spirit so far as we can divine and i
teTpret it. No one doubts that it
1ts our duty to do. We must defend oil
81, commerce and the lives of our peop
in the midst of the present trying ci
'e eumstances with discretion, but wit
. clear and steadfast purpose. Only Il