HARRISBURG TELEGRAPH
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LXXXVI — No. 79 .8 PAGES
CALL SOON FOR
500,000 MORE!
MEN FOR ARMY
By Associated Press
Washington, April 2.—lmmediately after the President left the
Capitol, the Senate and House reconvened and an identic joint reso
lution was introduced in both houses declaring the existence of a
state of war, and directing the President to employ all the resources j
of the country to carry on war against the Imperial German govern
ment and bring the conflict to a successful conclusion
Because of the opposition to thV measure of Senator Stone, chair
man of the Foreign Relations Committee, the resolution was intro-j
duced in the Senate by Senator Martin, of Virginia, the Democratic!
floor leader. Representative Flood, chairman of the Foreign Affairs
Committee, introduced it in the House.
The resolution follows:
"Joint resolution'declaring that a state of war cxi ;S: between the
Imperial German government and the government and people of the !
United States and making provision to prosecute the same;
"Whereas, the recent acts of the Imperial government are acts of
war against the government and the people of the United States.
Resolved, by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled that the state of
war between the United States and the Imperial German government
which has thus been thrust upon the United States is hereby formally
declared; and
"That the President be, and he is hereby, authorized and directed
to take immediate steps not only to put the country in a thorough
state of defense but also to exert all of its power and employ all of
its resources to carry on war against the Imperial German govern
ment and to bring the conflict to a successful termination."
The resolution was referred to the Foreign Affairs Committee and
by both houses and adjournment until to-morrow followed soon
afterward. Both committees meet to-morow morning.
Washington, April 2.—President Wilson to-night asked Congress
to declare that a state of war exists between the United States and
Germany and Congress stands solidly behind him.
The big outstanding feature of the address is that a call will be
issued shortly for at least 500,000 more men for the army.
The appearance of the President before Congress to-night was the
climax of one of the most momentous days in American history.
The whole Capitol was on tip-toe of excitement from early morn
ing. It was fully expected everywhere that the President would
take the step which he did fo-night take, but the contents of his
message to Congress, which went to the printer at 9 o'clock this
morning was most carefully guarded. Not even the great press
associations of the country were provided with advance copies. Every
effort was made to keep its contents from the eyes of trusted ad
v'sers of the President until the hour of its delivery arrived.
x President Wilson desired to deliver his message early in the day.
He asked Congressional leaders for a suitable hour and at first it
was believed he would be able to appear before the legislative bodies
assembled at 3 o'clock. Then a hitch developed in the registration
of roll-calls on the organization of the House and it was not until
near that hour that it was decided to postpone his visit until 5
o'clock. It soon became apparent that this was too early and a little
later announcement was made that Congress would be ready to
hear from the President ct 8, but it was nearer 9 when the actual
delivery of the speech was begun.
Dramatic Setting
The setting for the event was dramatic in the extreme. Sitting
quietly with a little group of close friends in his offices the Presi
dent was awaiting the wo-d to proceed to the Capitol. Outside a
troop of United States cavalry marked time impatiently, when word
came to the White House that the Aztec, the first American steamer
to leave port armed to repell submarines had been sunk at night
by a German U-boat off the coast of France and that a number of
\merican lives had been lost. It was the last straw. A few moment
later, escorted by the cavalry, the President left for the Capitol. t
CHAMP CLARK
IS RE-ELECTED
. VOTE 217-205
Washington, April 2.—Speaker Clark was re-elected to
day by a vote of 217 to 205 over his Republican opponent,
Representative Mann, as the first step in organization of the
I louse of Representatives the necessary preliminary to
the delivery of President Wilson's "war" address. With
the re-election of Speaker Clark it seemed certain that Presi
dent Wilson would deliver his address late this afternoon.
It is expected on every hand that he will ask Congress
to declare that a state of war exists between the United
States and Germany. This seemed so certain that Chairman
Flood, of the House of Foreign Affairs (''-Minittee, the
administration spokesman there, preparix lirtion, to
mnaUnucd ou I'aec 2)
HARRISBURG, PA., MONDAY EVENING, APRIL 2, 1917.
PRESIDENT TELLS CONGRESS
WAR IS THE ONLY ANSWER
TO GERMANY'S ATTACK ON U. S.
By Associated Press
Washington .April 2.—President Wilson to-night asked Congress to declare a state of war existing
between the United States and Germany.
While the news of the submarining of the steamer Aztec—the first American armed ship to sail into
the war zone—was being told from mouth to mouth in the Capitol, the President, appearing before
House and Senate in joint session, asked Congress to recognize and deal with Germany's warfare on
America.
The President said war with Germany would i.ivclve practical cooperation with the governments
now at war with Germany, including liberal financial credits. He urged the raising of 500,000 men
by universal military service.
The President made it clear that no action was being taken against the Austrian government and
the other nations allied with Germany.
President Wilson spoke as follows:
"I have called the Congress into ex
traordinary session because there are
serious, very serious, choices of policy
to be made, and made immediately,
which it was neither right nor consti
tutionally permissible that I should
assume the responsibilty of making.
"On the third of February, last, I
officially laid before you the extra
ordinary announcement of the Imper
ial German government that on and
after the first day of February it was
its purpose to put aside all restrains
of law or of humanity and use its sub
marines to sink every vessel that
sought to approach either the ports of
Great Britain and Ireland or the west
ern coasts of Europe or any of the
ports controlled by the enemies of
Germany within the Mediterranean.
Broken Promise
"That had seemed to be the object
of the German submarine warfare
earlier in the war, but since April of
last year, the imperial government
j had somewhat restrained the com
| manders of its undersea craft in con
formity with its promise then given to
us that passenger boats should not be
; sunk, and that due warning would be
| given to all other vessels which its
j submarines might seek to destroy
I when no resistance was offered or
I escape attempted, and care taken that
j their crews were given at least a fair
chance to save their lives in their open
| boats.
I "The precautions taken were meager
j and haphazard enough, as was proved
! in distressing instance after instance
jin the progress of the cruel and un
! manly business, but a certain degree
i of restraint was observed.
Policy Swept Aside
"The new policy has swept every
| restriction aside. Vessels of every
j kind, whatever their "ag, their char
acter, their cargo, their destination,
i their errand, have been ruthlessly
1 sent to the bottom without warning,
' and without thought of help or mercy
! for those on board, the vessels of
i friendly neutrals alorg with those of
belligerents.
"Even hospital ships and ships
carrying relief to the sorely bereaved
j and people of Belgium,
j though the latter were provided with
! safe conduct through the prescribed
[areas by the German government it
; self and*were distinguished by unmis
: takable marks of identity, have been
I sunk with the same reckless lack of
compassion or of principle.
"I was for a little while unable to
believe that such things would In fact
be done by any government that had
hitherto subscribed to the humane
practices of civilized nations. Interna
tional law had Its origin in the attempt
to set up some law. which would be
respected and observed upon the seas,
where no nation had right of dominion
and where lay the free highways of
the world. By painful stage after
stage has that law been built up with
meagre enough results, Indeed, after
all was accomplished that could be ac
complished, but always with a clear
view, at least, of what the heart and
conscience of mankind demanded.
"This minimum of right the Ger
man government has swept aside un
der the plea of retalfatlon and neces
sity, and because it had no weapon^
which it could use at ea except these,
which it is impossible to employ as
it is employing them without throw
ing to the winds all scruples of hu
manity or of respect of .the under
standings that were supposed to un
derlie the intercourse of the world.
"I am not now thinking of the loss
of property involved, immense and
serious as that is, but only of the
wanton and wholesale destruction of
the lives of non-combatants, men,
women and children, engaged in pur
suits which have always, even in the
darkest periods of modern history
been deemed innocent and legitimate.
Property can be paid for; the lives of
peaceful and innocent people cannot
be.
Against Mankind
"The present German submarine
warfare against commerce is a war
fare against mankind. It is a war
against all nations. American ships
have been sunk, American lives taken,
in ways which it has stirred us very
deeply to learn of, but the ships and
people of other neutral and friendly
nations have been sunk and over
whelmed in the waters in the same
way. Therehas been no discrimina
tion. The challenge is to all mankind.
"Each nation must decide for it
self how it will meet it. The choice we
make for ourselves must be made with
a moderation of counsel and a temper
ateness of judgment befitting our char
acter and our motives as a nation. We
must put excited feeling away. Our
motive will not be revenge or the vic
torious assertion of the physical might
of the nation, but only the vindication
of right, of human right, of which we
are only a single champion.
"When I addressed the Congress on
the twenty-sixth of February last. I
thought it would suffice to assert our
neutral rights with arms, our right to
use the seas against unlawful interfer
ence, our right to keep our people
safe against unlawful violence.
"But armed neutrality it now ap
pears Is impracticable. Because sub
marines are in effect outlaws when
used as the German submarines have
been used against merchant shipping,
it is impossible to defend ships against
their attacks as the law of nations has
assumed that merchantmen would de
fend themselves against privateers or
cruisers,, visible craft giving chase
upon the open sea. It is common pru
dence in such circumstances, grim
necessity indeed, to endeavor to de
stroy them before they have shown
their own intention. 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 proscribed, even in the defense of
rights which no modern publicist has
ever questioned their right to defend.
; The Intimation is conveyed that, the
armed guards which wehave placed on
I our merchantships will be treated as
( beyond the pale of 'aw and subject to
j be dealt with tis priates would be.
Armed neutrality is ineffectual enough
• at best; in such circumstances and in
j the face of such pretensions it is worse
j than ineffectual; it is likely once to
j produce what it was meant to prevent;
it is practically certain to draw us
| into the war without either the rights
i or the effectiveness of belligerents.
We Will Not Submit
"There is one choice we cannot
make, we are incapable of making.
We will not choose the oath of sub
j mission and suffer the most sacred
I rights of our nation and our people
to be ignored or violated. The wrongs
against which we now array our
selves are not common wrongs; they
cut to the very roots of human life.
"With a profound sense of the
solemn and even tragical character
| of the step I am taking and of the
I grave responsibilities which it in
i volvcs, but in unhesitating obedience
ito what I deem iny constitutional
duty, I advise that the Congress de
) dare the recent course of the Im
i perlal G/srman government to be in
1 fact nothing less than war against
| the government and people of the
I United States; that it formally accept
the status of belligerent which has
i thus been thrust upon It and that It
j take Immediately steps not only to put
the country in a 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.
U. S. to Co-opcratc
"What this will involve is clear. It
will involve the utmost practicable
co-operation in counsel and action
with the governments now at war with
I Germany, and, as Incident to that, the
extension to those governments of the
most liberal financial credits, in order
that our resources n(iay, so far as pos
sible. be added to theirs. It will in
volve the organization and mobtllzar
tion 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 economical and efficient !
way possible. It will involve the Imme
diate full equipment of the navy in
all respects but particularly in sup
plying it with the best means of deal
ing with the enemy's submarines.
Need 500.000 Moil
"It will involve the immediate ad
dition to the armed forces of the
United States already provided for by
law In case of war. at least 500,0UU
men, who should, in my opinion, be
chosen upon the principle of universal
liability to service, and also the au
thorization of subsequent additional •
increments of equal force so soon as
they may be needed and can be
handled in training.
To Lend Allies Money
"It will involve also, of course, the
granting of adequate credits to the
government, sustained, I hope, so far
as they can equitably be sustained by
the present generation, by well con
ceived taxation. I say sustained so
far as may be equitable by taxation
because it seems to me that it would
be most unwise to base the credits
which will now be necessary entirely
on money borrowed. It is our duty,
I most respectfully urge, to protect
our people so far as we may against
the very serious hardships and evils
which would be likely to arise out of
the inflation which would be pro
duced by vast loans.
Aid For Entente
"In carrying out the measures by
which these things are to be ac
complished we should keep constantly
in mind thewisdom of interfering as
little as possible in our own prepara
tion and in the equipment of our own
military forces with the duty—for it
will be a 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
| assistance. They are in the field and
| we should help them In every way to
be effective there. j
"I shall take the liberty of suggest
ing, through the several executive de
partments of the government for the
consideration of your committees,
measures for the accomplishment of
the several objects I havementioned. 1
hope thatit 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.
For Cause of I*eace
"While we do these things, these
deeply momentous things, let us be
very clear and make very clear to all
the world what our motive.? and our
objects are. My own thought has not
been driven from its habitual and
j normal course by the unhappy events
j of the last two months, and I do not
: believe that the thought of the nation
has been altered or clouded. I have.'
exactly the same things in mind novv
! that 1 had in mind when I addresse'i'
I the Senate on the 22d of January last?;!
the same that I had in mind when I
addressed the Congress on the 3d of
February and on the 26th of Feb
ruary. 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 amongst the really free
and self-governed peoples of the
world such a concert of purpose and
of action as will henceforth insure the
observance of those principles.
Bcgining New Age
"Neutrality is no longer feasible or
desirable 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 governments backed by or
ganized 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.
"We are at the beginning of an age
in which it will be insisted that the
same standard of conduct and of re
sponsibility for wrong done shall be
observed among nations and their gov
ernments thatare observed among the
individual citizens of civilized states.
Sympathy for German People
"We have no quarrel with the Ger
man people. We have no feeling to
wards them but one of sympathy and
friendship. It was not upon their im
pulse that their government acted in
entering the war. It was not with
their previous knowledge or approval.
"It was a war determined upon as
wars used to be determined upon in
the old, unhappy daya when peoples
were nowhere consulted by their
rulers and wars were provoked and
waged in the interest of dynasties or
(Continued on race 2)
PARIS HEARS OF
U. S. SHIP SENT
DOWN BY U-BOAT
By Associated Press
Paris, April 2.—The American steamer Aztec has been sunk by
a submarine near an island off Brest. A number of men are miss
ing and little hope is held that they can be saved, as the steamer was
torpedoed at night while a heavy sea was running.
William Graves Sharp, the American Ambassador, was informed
this 'afternoon by the French government of the torpedoeing of
the Aztec and immediately cabled the State department.
Representatives of the American government will proceed to Brest
to take the depositions of .survivors of the disaster.
GERMANS SINK FIRS!
ARMED U. S
FROM AMERICAN PORI
New York, April 2.—The American steamship Aztec, owned by
the Oriental Navigation Comapny, the first armed ship to sail from
an American port/was sunk yesterday by a German submarine, ac
(Continued on Pngc 2)
| LATE NEWS j
' i 28 OF AZTECS CRffW fi
PARTS *.PRIL 2:—A FRENCH PATROL PICKED UP
| NINETEEN OF THE CREW OK THE AZTEC
I TWENTY-EIGHT MEN" ARE REPORTED MISSING. I
PROHIBITION AMENDMENT IN
Washington, April 2.—Constitutional amendment for J
prohibition were introduced in House and Senate by Rep- \
resentative Randall, of California and Senator Sheppard. of J
Texaf,. It was announced that In view of the international J
situation they would be not pressed at the special session \
/
1 WAR MEASURE INTRODUCED
I Washington, April 2. —A comprehensive admmistra
tion measure dealing with neutrality violations, espionage, j
! injury to vessels, punishment of interference with foreign
relations and commerce, passports and other similar ques- J
tions, was introduced to-day by Representative Webb, of f
North Carolina, who will be chairman of the Judiciary Com- W
mittee, #
NEW TRAINING BILL IN I
Washington, April 2.—Materially amended t.O make v ft
effective in promptly raising armed forte*, Senator Chan, m
berlain, chairman of the Senate Military Committee, today K
virtually completed hi 6 universal compulsory militar- C
training bill. The chief change provides for registration '
and training this year of men between 20 and 22. In stttr I
sequent years men of 21, 22 and 23 year-s be sublet* i
to training upon call of the T*resident Senator Chamber 1
lain plans to introduce the amended bill at the fsrrt oppor 1
trinity. The amendments went decided upon by Sena'-it
Chamberlain after a recent conference with President Wt.
.
i son on the subject of Unfrersal Training Whether th- 1
1 bill will have the support of the administration ha* not 1
' been fully developed. j
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