Meade County news., 1917-03-08
ARMED NEUTRALITY ADVOCATED BY
WILSON in ADDRESS TO CONGRESS
Asks Authority to Arm American Merchant Vessels and to Provide
Means of Protection to Amerc Interests Where Such
Now Lacking-Says War Can Come Only
From Aggresons of Others.

son asked congress yesterday for au-
thority to arm American merchant YES
sells in defense against German subma-
rine warfare. In his address before
the Joint session he also asked sufli-
cient credit to enable him to provide
adequate means of protection where
they are now lacking, including Ode
quate insurance against the present
war risks.
The presidents address was as fol-
lows:
Gentlemen of the Congress:
II have again asked the privilege OF
addressing you because we are moving
through critical times during which 1t
seems to me to be my duty to keep In
close touch with the houses Of con-
gress, so that neither counsel nor ac-
ton shall run at cross purposes be-
tween 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 1t
had made to this government in April
last and undertake immediate subma-
rine operations against all commerce,
whether belligerents or neutrals, that
should seek to approach Great Britain
and Ireland, the Atlantic coasts of Eu-
rope, or the harbors of the eastern
Mediterranean, and to conduct those
operations without regard to the es-
tabllshed restrictions of international
practice, without regard to any con-
slderations of humanity even which
might interfere with their object. That
policy was forthwith put into practice.
1t has now been in active execution
for nearly four weeks.
Results Not Yet Disclosed.
Its practical results are not yet fully
disclosed. The commerce Of other neu-.
tral nations Is suffering severely, but
not, perhaps, very much more severely
than 1t 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 depre-
dati0ns, but so far none of them has
, thought 1t wise to join us In any com
mon course of action.
"Our own commerce has suffered, Is
suffering, 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 sunk.
"Two American vessels have been
sunk, the HousatOnic and the Lyman
NJ. Law.
"The case of the Housatonlc, which
was carrying foodstuffs to London
firm, was essentially like the case of
the Frye, in which, 1t will be recalled,
the German government admitted its
liability for damages, and the lives of
the crew, as in the case of the Frye,
was safeguarded with reasonable care.
"The case of the Law, which was
carrying lemon box slaves to Palermo,
disclosed ruthlessness of method
p which deserves grave condemnation,
but was accompanied by no clrcum-
stances which might not have been eX-
pected at any time in connection with
the use of the submarine against mer-
chantmen as the German government
has used 1t.
Situation Is the Same.
In summing up, therefore, the sltua-
tion we find ourselves in with regard
to the actual conduct of the German
submarine warfare against commerce
and its effects upon our own ships and
people Is substantially the same, that
it was when addressed you on the
third of February except for the ty-
ing up Of our shipping in our own
ports because of the unwillingness Of
our ship0wners to risk their vessels at
sea without insurance or adequate pro-
lection, and the very serious cOnges-
tion Of our commerce which has result
ed, congestion which Is growing rap
idly 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.
ave can only say, therefore, that
the overt act which l have ventured
to hope the German commanders
would in fact avoid has not occurred.
Some Alarming Signs.
'But while this is happily true, it
must be admitted that there have been
certain additional indications and eX-
pressions of purpose on the part of
the German press and the German au-
thorites which have increased rather
than lessened the impression that, If
our ships and our people are spared 1t
will be because of fortunate circum-
stances or because the commanders of
the German submarines which they
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