The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-03-09
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TAMELY TO GERMAN
DICTATION-TAFT
Former President Aroused Great Enthu-
siasm as He Addressed Crowd at State
House and Later Another Big Au-
dience at Montpelier City Hall.

Ex-President William Howard Taft ad.
dressed two audiences in Montpelier yes.
terday, late in the afternoon at the
State House and in the evening at the
city hall, having come to Vermont for
the purpose OF opening a membership
campaign for the Vermont branch of the
League to Enforce Peace. On each oc-
casion he was greeted with crowded
house, representatives. hall being filled
| to the utmost in the afternoon and city
hall holding 1000 in the evening.
| After being introduced at the State
House e8- President Taft said in part as
follows:
1--WE have been neutrals in this great
war, we have pursued the policy of nen-
trails as carefully as we could under the
rule of international law. Our national
conscience is void of offense and yet we
find ourselves on the brink of hostilities.
In the first place every neutral nation,
as between belligerents, has the right as
against one belligerent to maintain trade
or to permit its citizens to maintain
trade in their commercial vessels with
other belligerents, in all kinds OF mer-
chandise, contraband or otherwise, with
out complaint by belligerent.
'fThe rule is that as between belliger-
ents, one belligerent may capture and
confiseate the commercial vessels of an
other, but if the commercial vessel thus
captured makes no resistance, the crew,
the passengers and the officers of the
non-resisting enemy commercial vessel
are entitled to rescue and entitled to a
place of safety. That limitation obtains
in the three cases which have described.
Violating these uncontestable rules of
international law, Germany sent before
their Maker without warning at least
2000 citizens of the United States. We
condoned that act. We condoned that
ruthless, brutal killing of our innocent
citizens on the pledge of Germany that
she would thereafter discontinue that
course. Before the first of February last
she announced that she intended to begin
again the ruthless sinking without warn
ing of every vessel, commercial or other
wise, neutral or otherwise, that entered
zone of the high seas more than 600
miles long and in places exceeding 100
miles in width. And when she did so the
president of the United states notified
her that if she intended TO continue that,
then we would have no more diplomatic
relations with her, and we withdrew our
ambassador in Berlin and we gave pass
ports to Count Bernstorff, the German
ambassador in Washington.
after that was done Germany reiter-
ated her intention to sink every vessel
without warning by submarine attack,
every vessel that came into that zone on
the high seas.
"The deck of commercial vessel of
the United States, under the American
flag, on the high seas, complying with
law, is just as much soil of |
the United States as if its passengers |
stood upon the shores of the United !
States. And an attack upon them with |
out warning cannot be distinguished in |
under international Law from !
the case of the landing of a German regi- |
ment on the shores of the United States |
and the killing of American citizens. I'm
der those conditions what can we do? |
II we do not resent that action, if we |
yield in order 20 avoid w1 to the course |
of a ruthless and brutal military power |
we have given up our position before the /
world; we have failed to vindicate popu- /
lar government as one which knowing /
Is rights dares to maintain them. Can
there be any doubt, therefore, where
American citizens, through whose veins
American blood flows, must stand in re-
.pect TO upholding the hands of the
president in asserting our rights even
thought il involves the use of force
IApplause.l
''Now, that's the situation my friends,
ind the question is whether We Amer
cans are going to stand back of the
lresidenti He asked for authority from
congress. not-as he ssid-beeause he
doubted his power TO exercise the author
ty, but because he wished their confirm
ug vote and the House of Representa-
ives gave il to him by an overwhelming 4
with a small minority, and
hen the Senate would have done the
ame thing by more than so out Of a6
,ut for the misguided, wilful and un-
(Continucd on fourth psge)