Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-04-06

Gentlemen OF tho Congress-:
II have called tho Congress-
into extraordinary session because
there are serious. very serious,
choices OF policy to be- made, and
made Immediately, which IL
was neither right nor constitution
ally permissible that should
assume the responsibility OF max
ing.
"On the Sd OF February last l
officially laid before you the OK
traordinary announcement OF the
imperial German government, that
on and after tho first day OF Fob
ruary 1t was Its purpose TO put
aside all restraints OF law or Of
tho humanity and use It's sub
marines to sink every vessel that
sought to approach either tho
ports OF Great Britain or Ireland
or the western coasts OF Europe, or
any or tho ports controlled by tho
enemies Of Germany, within tho
Mediterranean That had seemod
TO be tho object or the German
submarine warfare earlier in the
war, but since April OF last year
the Imperial Government had
somewhat restrained tho com
mandors OF Its undersea crnft IN
conformity with its promise then
given TO us that passenger boats
should not be sunk and that due
warning would be given 10 all
other vessels which its submarines
might seek 20 destroy. when no
resistance was offered or escape
attempted. and care taken that
their crews were given mt least
fair chance TO save their lives
In their open boats.
With n profound sense OF tho
solemn and even trasicsi character
OF tho step am taking and Of the
grave responsibilities, which Il in
wolves. but In unhosltatins obedi-
ence 10 what deem my constitu-
tionsl duty. advise that IN, Con-
eress declare the recent course OF
the Imperial German Government
20 be In fact nothing less than war
against the government and peo-
pie of the United States. that Il
formally accept the status Of
belligerent which has thus been
thrust upon It; and that II take
immediate steps not only TO put
sh. ~ a..
state ~ defence but also TO exert
all it's power and employ all It's
resources 90 bring the Govern
ment OF the German Empire to
term, and end the war.
While We do these things. these
deeply momentous things, let us
be very clear and make very clear
To all tho world what our motives
and our objects are My own
thought has not been driven from
II habitual and normal course by
the unhappy events OF the last
two months, and / do not believe
that the thought OF the nation has
been altered or clouded by them.
! have exactly the same things in
mind now that / had in mind when
! addressed the Senate on the
22d day q January last. the same
that had in mind when ! adj
dressed the Congress on the Sd Of
February and on the 26th Of Feb-
ruary. Our object now. as then. is
peace and justice In the life OF
Opeace and justice in the life Of
the world as against selfish and
autocratic power. and to set up
amongst the really free and self
governed peoples Of the world
such a concert Of purpose and OF
action as will henceforth endure
the observance OF those principles
We are at the beginning Of al
age in which IL viii be insiste'
that the same standards of con
duct and Of responsibility 70
wrong done shall be observe,
among nations and their govern
ments that are observed amonI
the individual citizens OF ciyilize'
states. We have no quarrel wit
the German people. We have n
feeling toward them but one @
sympathy and friendship. II wa
not upon their impulse that thei
! government acted in entering thi
war. II was not with their pre-
vious knowledge or approval.
!
A steadfast concert for peac
can never be maintained exceI
by a partnership of Democrat
nations. No autocratic governmeI
could be trusted TO keep fait