Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1917-04-06

race OF such pfetensions IL Is worse than
Intellectual; it is likely once to produce
what it was meant to prevent: il is prac-
tically certain to draw US into the war
without either the rights of the effective
ness Of bellieerents.
There is one choice we canno, make.
we are incapable of making. we will not
choose the path Of submission and suffer
the most sacred rights Of our nation and
our people to be ignored or violated. The
wrongs against which we now anay our
selves are not common wrongs, they cut
to the very roots Of human life.
With profound sense of the solemn
and even tragical character of the step
am taking and Of the grave responsibilities
which it involves. but in unhesitatine
obedience to what deem my constitu-
tional duty. advise that the Congress de-
clare the recent course Of the Imperial Ger
man Government to be in fact nothing less
than war against the Government and peo-
pie Of the United States; that il formally
accept the status Of bellieerent which has
thus been thrust upon it and that il take
immediate steps not only to put the ooun-
try in more thorough state of defense,
but also to exert all its power and employ
all its resources to bring the Government
of the German empire to terms and end
the war.
What this will involve is clear. Ii will
involve the utmost practicable ca.opera-
ton in counsel and action with tiE gov
ernments now at war with Germany and,
as incident to that. the extension to those
governments Of the most liberal financial
credits. in order that our resources may,
so far as possible. be added to theirs. II
will involve the organization and mobili-
zation Of all the material resources of the
country to supply the materials of war and
serve the incidental needs of the nation in
the most abundant and yet the most eco
nomical and efficient way possible. 1t will
involve the immediate full equipment Of
the navy in all respects. but particularly
in supplying it with the best means of
dealing with the enemy's submarines. 1t
will involve the immediate addition to the
armed forces Of the United States already
provided for by law in case Of war, at
least. 100000 men. who should. in my
opinion, be chosen upon the principle Of
universal liability to service, and also the
Of subsequent additional in
Of equal force 50 soon as they
may be needed and can be handled in
1T viii involve also. Of course, the grant
ing Of adequate credits to the Government,
sustained, hope. so far as they can eoui-
tably be sustained by the present genera
lion. by well-conceived taxation. say
sustained so far as may be equitable by
taxation because it seems to me that il
would be most unwise to base the credits
which viii now be necessary entirely on
money borrowed. II is our duty, most
respectfully urge. to protect our people 50
far as we may against the very serious
and evils which would be likely
to arise out OF the imitation which would
be produced by vast loans.
in carrying out the measures by which
these things are to be accomplished we
should keep constantly in mind the wis
dom Of interfering as little as possible in
our own preparation and in the equipment
Of our own military forces with the duty
for it win be very practical duty-of sup
plying the nations already at war with
Germany with the materials which they
can obtain only from US or by our assist
ance. They are in the field and we should
help them in every way to be effective
there
Il shall take the liberty Of suggesting,
through the several executive departments
Of the Government for the consideration of
your committees. measures for the accom-
plishment of the several objects | have
mentioned. hope that 1t will be your
pleasure to deal with them as having been
framed after very careful thought by the
branch of the Government upon which the
responsibility Of conducting the war and
safeguarding the nation will most directly
fall.
while we do these things. these deeply
momentous things. let us be very clear.
and make very clear to all the world what
our motives and our objects are. My own
thought has not been driven from its
habitual and normal course by the un-
happy events Of the last two months and
do not believe that the thought Of the
nation has been altered or clouded by them.
Il have exactly the same things in mind
now that had in mind when addressed
the Senate on the 22nd Of January last !;
the same thatl had in mind when ad-
dressed the Congress on the 3rd Of Feb.
ruary and on the 28th Of February. Our
object now. as then, is to vindicate the
principles OF peace and the justice in the
life OF the world as against selfish and
autocratic power and to set up among the
really free and self-eoverned peoples Of
the world such a concert Of purpose and
Of action as will henceforth insure the OBJ
servance of those principles.
Neutrality is no LONGER feasible or de-
sirable where the peace Of the world is
involved and the freedom Of its peoples,
and the menace to that peace and freedom
lies in the existence Of autocratic Govern
ments. backed by organized force, which
Is controlled wholly by their will, not by
the will Of their people. We have seen the
last Of neutrality in such circumstances.
I'VE are at the beginning of an age where
Il will be insisted that the same stand
ards Of conduct and Of responsibility for
wrong done shall be observed among ma
lions and their governments that are OBJ
served among the individual citizens of
civilized states.
We have no quarrel with the German
l.