Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1917-03-02
WILSON ASKS FOR
ARMED POWER
PRESIDENT DETERMINED TO
PROTECT AMERICAN LIVES
AGAINST SUBMARINES.
Violation Of Rights and lntolerable
Blockade Brings Chief Executive
Before Congress With Appeal
for Authority to Act.

Washing ton.-President Wilson, on
February 26th, asked congress for au-
thority to use the forces of the Unit
ed States to protect American ships
and lives against the German subma-
rine menace to put the nation In
state of armed neutrality.
The immediate response was the
introduction In the house of bill,
approved in advance by the president.
empowering him to furnish guns and
gunners to American merchantmen
and to employ such other instru-
mentalities and methods" as may
become necessary; and providing for
a s100,000,000 bond issue, to be used
In his discretion for war insurance to
encourage American commerce to
brave the submarine peril.
The presidents longexpected nc.
ton, while received in the main with
expressions OF support. threatens to
force an extra session of congress.
Standing at the clerks desk in the
hall of the house, grave, calm, speak.
ing earnestly In the attitude now IA
miliar, the president delivered his
address while congress sat In tense.
respectful silence. fully impressed
with the soberness of the occasion.
No cheers and applause such as have
burst out before punctuated his SEN
fences. BY common consent the mem.
bers refrained from demonstration.
There were vigorous mods of approval
| from Democrats and Republicans who
have been urging q forward course:
silence and indications of reserved
thought from those opposed.
But at the conclusion of the adj
dress. when the president spoke Of the
fundamental rights on which are
based the structure of family, state
and liberty, and said, Il cannot imag-
Inc a man with American principles In
his heart hesitating to defend these
things" cheers resounded through the
chamber.
For four weeks an unrestricted
submarine warfare. the president told
congress, has seen the destruction of
at least two American ships, American
commerce driven in large measure
from the seas through fear of the
underseas peril, and resulting con-
gestion of Americas vital industries,
growing more serious every day. The
fact that more American lives had not
been lost, he said, was due to the
fact that German submarine COM
manders had exercised AN unexpect-
ed discretion and restraint" rather
than because Of the Instructions under
which they were acting. To be un-
prepared, with congress out OF ses-
sion, the president said, would be
most imprudent." Consequently he
asked for authority to act.
During the course of his. address.
President Wilson told congress:
am not proposing nor contemplating
war or any steps that might lead to
war.
War can only come by the wilful
acts and aggressions of others.
l must ask for your supporting au-
thority In the most general terms. We
must defend our commerce and the
lives OF our people with discretion,
but with clear and steadfast purpose.
/ |, i request that you will authorize
| uIo W Supply OuT merchant SulDb Will
. defensive arms, should that become
necessary, and with the means of US
Ing them, and to employ any other in.
strumentalities or methods that may
. be necessary and adequate to pro
tect our ships and our people in their
legitimate and peaceful pursuits on
J he seas.
= / request also a sufficient credit to
| n, a1Nl m 10 prnvi6a aHnnnafa poA M
OF protection, where they are lacking
including adequate insurance against
war risk
| feel that ought to obtain from yor
full and immediate assurance of the
authority which i may need at any
moment to exercise No doubt | al
t ready possess that authority without
2. special warrant of law.
I Our own commerce is suffering
rather in apprehension than in fact
because so many Of our ships are tim
idly keeping 10 their home ports, thar
by ships having been sunk.
4 This itself might presently accom-
4 plish in effect what the new German
I submarine orders were meant TO &C
e complish, so far as we are concerned
a The case of the Lyman Nj. Law dis
closed n ruthlessnes OF method which
receives grave condemnation, but wa!
= accompanied by no circumstance
Z which might not have been expected
at any time in connection with th'
:, use of the submarine against mer
g chantmen as tho German government
/ has used 1t.
Y There may be no recourse but Il
q armed neutrality, which we shall nov
: have TO maintain and for which Their,
. is abundant American precedent
y Mrs. Wilson's Sister Dies.