New Britain herald., 1917-02-26
PRIDE OF CUNARD LINE GIVEN NO WARNING BEFORE ATTACK
WILSON'S SPEECH IN CONGRESS

Washington Feb. 6.-Speaking be- fore joint session of congress this af- ternoon, President Wilson said: Gentlemen of the congress-: I haev again asked the privilege of addressing you because we are nov ing 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 counsel nor action shall run at cross-purposes between us. "On the third of February officially informed you of the sudden and un- | expected action of the imperial Ger , man government in declaring its in-. tention to disregard the promises it had made to this government in April i last and undertake immediate sub- marine operations against all com merce, whether of belligerents or of neutrals, that should seek to approach Great Britain and Ireland, the At lantic coasts of Europe CT the har- bors of the eastern Mediterranean and to conduct those operations with out regard to the established restr1c- tfons of international practice, witht out regard to any considerations of humanity even which might interfere with their object. That policy was forthwith put into practice. It mas now been in active exhibition for near ly four weeks
 Its practical results are not 1ully disclosed. The commerce of other neutral nations is suffering severely, but not, perhaps very much more se- vere1y than it was already suffering before the first of February when the new policy of the imperial govern ment was put into operation. We have asked the cooperation of the other neutral governments to prevent these depredations, but I fear none of them has thought it wise to join us in any common course of action. Our own commerce has suffered, is suffer ing rather in apprehension than in fact, rather because so many of our ships are timidly keeping to their home ports than because American ships have been sunk.
 Two American vessels have been sunk, the Housatonic and the Lyman M. Law. The case of the Housatonic which was carrying foodstuffs cont signed to a London firm, was essen- tially like the case of the Frye in which, it will be recalled, the German government admitted it's liability for
 
 which, as in the case of the Frye, were safeguarded by reasonable care.
 "The case of the }Law, which was carrying lemon box slaves to Palermo disclosed ruthlessness of method which deserves grave condemnation. but was accomplished by no circum- stance which might not have been expected at any time in connection with the use of the submarine against merchanmen as the German govern ment has used it.
 Tn sum, therefore, the situation we find ourselves in with regards to the actual conduct of the German sub marine. warfare against commerce and it's effects upon our own ships and people is variably the same as it was when. I addressed you on the third of February, except for the tying up of our shipping in our own ports be- cause of the unwllingness of our shipowners to risk their vessels at sea without insurance or adequate prOtec- ton and the very serious congestion of our commerce which has resulted, a congestion which is growing rapidly more and more serious every day.
 "This in itself might presently ac- complish, in effect, what the new Ger man submarine orders were meant to accomplish, so far as we are con- cerned. We can only say, therefore that the overt act which I have ven- tured to hope the German command CTS would in fact avoid, has not oc- cured.
 ''But while this is happily true, it must be admitted that there have been certain additional indications and eX-