The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1917-04-05

not be. The present German subma
rine warfare against commerce is
warfare against mankind.
Germany Against All.
1T is anwar against all nations.
American ships have been sunk;
American lives taken, in ways which
1t has stirred us very deeply to learn
of. out the ships and people Of other
neutral and friendly nations have been
sunk and overwhelmed in the waters
in the same way, There has been no
discrimination. The challenge is to
all mankind. Each nation must de-
eide for itself how It will meet It.
The choice we make for ourselves
must be made with moderation OF
counsel and a temperatures of 1udg'
rhent BETTING our character and our
motives as Nation We must put
excited feeling away.
Our motive will not be revenge or
the victorious assertion of the physt-
cal might of the Nation. but only the
vindication of right. Of human right.
of which we are only single cham
pion
When ! addressed the Congress on
the 26th of February last thought
that it would suffice to assert our
neutral rights with arms. our right
to use the seas against unlawful In
reference our right to keep our PEG.
pie safe against unlawful violence.
But armed neutrality, it now ap-
pears, is impracticable.
Because submarines are. in effect,
outlaws when used as the German
submarines have been used against
merchant shipping, II is impossible to
defend ships against their attacks as
the law OF nations has assumed that
merchantmen would defend them.
selves against privateers or cruisers,
visible craft giving chase upon the
open sea. 1t is common prudence in
such circumstances. grim necessity.
indeed, to endeavor TO destroy them
before they have shown their own in
tention.
They must be dealt with upon
sight, if dealt with at all.
THE German government denies
the right of neutrals to use arms at
all within the areas of the sea which
it has prescribed. even in the defense
OF rights which no modern publictst
has ever before questioned .heir right
to defend.
The intimation is conveyed that
the armed guards which we have
placed on our merchant ships will
be treated as beyond the pale of law
and subject to le dealt with as pirates
would be.
Armed neutrality is Intellectual
enough at best; in such circumstances
and in the face OF such pretensions
it is worse than ineffectual; 1t is
likely once to produce what it was
meant to prevent: it is practically GER
tain to draw us into the war without
either the rights or the effectiveness
of belligerents.
Will Fight for Right.
There is one choice we cannot
make, that We are incapable of max
ing: 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 array ourselves
are not common wrongs; they cut to
the very roots of human life.
With profound sense of the sol
emn and even tragical character OF
he step l am taking and Of the grave
responsibilities which 1t involves, but
unbesitating obedience to what
deem my constitutional duty, adj
wise that the Congress declare the
recent course of the imperial German
government to be in fact nothing less
han war against the government and
people of the United States:
That 1t formally accept the status
of belligerent which has thus been
hrust upon it and that it take imme-
diate steps not only to put the conn
try in a more thorough state Of de.
iense but also to exert all its power
and employ all its resources to bring
the government of the German empire
10 terms and END the war.
What this will involve Is clear. 1t
will involve the utmost practicable
cooperation in counsel and action
With the governments now at war with
;ermany, and, as incident to that, the
extension to these governments OF the
.ost liberal financial credits. in order
hat our resources may. so far as pos
ible. be added to theirs.
1T will involve the o. SanizatiOn and
mobilization O: all the material re-
sources of the country to supply the
materials OF war and serve the Incl
entail needs of the Nation in the most
..bundant and yet the most economical
nd efficient way possible.
1t will involve the immediate iull
luipmeat OF the navy in all respects.
,ut particularly in supplying it with
he best means Of dealing with The
nemy's submarines.
1T will involve the immediate addi-
ion to the armed forces of the Unitel
;tates already provided for by law
n case Of war at least one-half million
men. who should, in my opinion, be
chosen upon the principle of universal
liability to service, and also the au-
.horization of subsequent additional
increments in equal forces SO soon as
hey may be needed and can be
handled in training.
1t will involve also, of course. the
granting Of adequate credits by the
government. sustained. / hope, SO far