The Elk Mountain pilot., 1917-11-08

country Of the full text Of President
Wilson'S address to congress on April
2, 1917, In which the president called
upon congress to declare the existence
Of a state Of war with the imperial
German government is shown by copies
Of the message as published in Ger
many which have been obtained by the
committee on public information of the
United states government.
The Wolff Telegraph bureau, which
10 not only under censorship control Of
the German government but has been
used AZ 4 seml-offieial mouthpiece Of
the government, In Its report Of Presi-
dent Wilson's address, suppressed
many passages In which the president
outlined the conditions which forced
this country to defend itself against
the attacks Of the German government.
As a result the message was presented
to the German people in an abridged
and distorted form.
In the following copy Of the presi.
dents address, issued by the commit
tee on public information; the passages
suppressed by the Wolff Telegraph bu-
reau are shown in bold-faced type.
Gentlemen of the Congress:
l have called the congress into extra.
ordinary session because there are Sc
rious. very serious, choices OF policy to
be made. and made Immediately. which
II is neither right nor constitutionally
permissible that / should assume the re-
sponsibility of making.
On the Sd of February last officially
laid before you the extraordinary an
government that on and after the LIST
day of February II was its purpose to
put aside all restraints of law or OF hu-
manity and use its submarines 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 Medi-
terranean. That had seemed to be the
object of the German submarine war
fare earlier in the war. but since April
of last year the Imperial government
had somewhat restrained the comman-
ders of its undersea craft. in conform
ity with Its promise then given to ms.
that passenger boats should not he
sunk, and that due warning would he
given to all other veasels which Its
submarines might seek to destroy,
when No resistance was offered or es-
cape attempted. and care taken that
their crews were given at least . fair
CnanCf To nuNe llNeh thChr ORtn
boats. The precautions taken were
meager and haphaHard enough. as was
proved n distressinE instance after
Instance In the progress of the crsel
asA ssaa.ly business, but = certain de-
gre of restraint WAS ohserved.
The new policy has swept every re-
striction aside. Vessels of every kind.
whatever their nag, their character
their cargo. their destination. their
erranA. have been ruthiessly sent to
~,vtHh iVu nd
out thought of help or mercy for those
on board, the vessels of friendly neu-
trails along with those of beiligerents.
Even hospital ships aad ships carrying
relief te the sorely bereaved asd strtck-
en- people Of Belgium, though the lat
ter were provided with safe conduct
through the prescribed areas by the
German government itself and were
histinguisheA ~ unnistakable marks
Of iAestity, have been sunk with the
same reckless lack of compassion or
of principle.
was for q little while unable to
believe that such thlngs would In fact
be done by any government that hss
practices Of civiliseA natieas. Ister-
aatiesal law had its origin In the at.
tempt to set uD some law which would
be respected and observed upen the
.ess, where ne nation had right Of
dominion and where lay the free high
ways 81 the world. BY painful stage
after stage has that law been built up
with meager enough results. indeed
aftar all was accomplished that coulo
be accomplished. but always with .
clear view, at Ienst, Of what the heart
..d cousclence of mankind demanded.
This minimum of right the German
government has swept aside under the
plea of retaliation and necessity ana
because 1t had no weapons which ~
could use at sea except these. which
II is Impossible to employ as IT Is en-
blowing them, without throwing to the
wind all scruples of humanity or OF
respect for the UNDERSTANDINGS that
were supposed to underile the inter-
course of tho world.
I am not now thinking OF the loss OF
property involved. immense ana serious
as that is, but only of the wanton ana
wholesale destruction OF the nves oi
dren. euraked In purruits which nave
.Ivays. even II the darkest PERIODS OF
-ederu history, been deemed innocent
.ud Legitimate. Property csn De para
v~opie cannot be. The present German
submarine warfare against commerce
4. n warfare against mankind
II is a war against all nations Amer
lea. shaps have been ssnk, American
i've. ',.s, ,.r. =, a..,,s t. ie.r. Of bat
me shaps uaa people OF other seutrsl
ana ersenSly nations have been sseH
ana overwhelmed In the waters n .e
..ne way. There has been no sis-
crfminati0n.
m. .n.Ilenxe IL to all nankina.
Each nation must decide for itself how
II will meet it. The choice we make
for ourselves must be made with
moderation of counsel and a temper
ateness of Judgment BETTING our
chor.cter and our motives as n nation
We We must put excited feelings away,
orr motive will not be revenge or the
victorious assertion of the physical
might of the nation. but only ,he VIZ
dication of right. of human right. OF
which we are only a single champion
When 1 addressed the congress on