MEBFOTJD MATL TT?TT5TrNT3 MEDFOBD, OTCECiO?sT, TUESDAY, APRIL 3. 1017.
PAGE TITREE
TEXT OF
WASHINGTON, April 3. Presi
dent Wilson's speech to congress ask
ing the declaration of a state of war
with Germany, in full was m follows:
"On the third of February last, I of
ficially laid before you the extraordi
nary announcement of the Imperial
German government that on and alter
the first day of February it was Its
purpose to put aside all restraints nf
law or of humanity and use its sub
marines to sink every vessel that
sought to approach cither the ports
of Great Britain and Ireland or the
western coasts of Europe or any of
the ports controlled by the euemies of
Germany, within the Mediterranean.
That has seemed to be the object of
.itho German submarino warfare earlier
n the war, but since April of last year
tho imperial government had some
what restrained the commanders of lis
undersea craft In conformity with its
promise then given to us that pas
senger boats should not be sunk, and
that due warning would be given to
all vessels which Its submarine might
seek to destroy, when no resistance
was oirorea or escape attempted, and
caro taken that their crews were given
at last a further chance to save their
lives in their open boats. Their pre
cautions taken were iueage and hap
hazard enough, as was proved in dis
tressing instance after Instance In the
progress of the cruel and unmanly
business, but a certain degree of re
straint was observed.
All ltcstraint IgnoiiNl
"Tho new policy has swept every
restriction aside. Vessels of every
kind, whatever their flag, their charac
ter, their cargo, their destination, their
errand, have been ruthlessly sent to
tho bottom without warning and with
out thought of help or mercy for those
on board, the vessels of friendly neu
trals nlong with belligerents. Even
hospital ships nnd ships carrying re
lief to the sorely bereaved and strick
en people of Belgium, though the lat
tor were provided with safe conduct
through the prescribed areas by the
German government itself, and were
distinguished by unmlstakcahle marks
of identity, have been sunk with the
same reckless lack of compassion or
principle.
"I was, for a little while, unable to
hellovo that such things would In fact
lie done by any government that had
hitherto subscribed to tho humane
practices of civilized nations. Inter
national law had its origin In tho at
tempt to set up some law, which will
be respected and observed upon tho
seas. Where no nation bad right of
dominion and where lay the free high
ways of the world. By painful stage
aftor stage has that law been built up
with meager enougli results, indeed,
aftor all was accomplished that could
be accomplished, but always with a
clear vie', at least, of what the heart
ed.
Hights Ignored
This minimum of right the Gorman
government has swept aside under the
pica of retaliation and necessity and
because It had no weajmns which It
could use at sea except those, which
it is impossible to employ as It Is em
ploying thorn without throwing t-i (bo
winds all scruples of humanity or of
respect for the understandings that
were supposed to underlie, tho inter
course of the wnrld.
"I am not now thinking of the loss
of property involved, immensexaud sc
rious as that is, but only of the wan
ton nnd wholesale destruction of the
livos of non-combatants, men, women
and children, engaged In pursuits
which have always, even in the dark
est pCtlods of modern history, been
deemed Innocent and legitimate. Prop
erty can bo paid for, the livos of peace
ful and Innocent people cannot he.
"Tho present Gorman submnrfne
warfare against commerce is a war
fare against mankind. It Is a war
against all nations. American ships
have boon sunk, American lives taken,
In ways which it has stirred us very
deeply to loarn of, hut the ships and
people of other neutral and fi loudly
nations have been sunk and over
whelmed In the waters In the same
way. There has been no discrimina
tion. The challenge Is to nil mankind.
Each nation must decide for Itself how
how It will moot It. The choice we
mako for ourselves must he made with
a moderation of council and a torn-
poratenoss of judgment befitting our
character and our motives as a nation
I'rgos CalinnoN
Wo must put excited feeling away
" Our motive will not bo revenge or the
victorious assertion of the physical
Plight of the nation, hut only the vin
dication of right, of human right, of
which wo are only a single champion.
"When I addressed tho congress on
1ho twenty-sixth of February last, our
right to use the seas against unlaw
ful Interference, our right to keep
our people safe against unlawful vio
lence. But armed neutrality. It now
ap'ars, la Impracticable. Hocause
submarine. are in effect outlaws when
Used as the German submarines have
PRESIDENT S SPEECH TO
'ASKING DECLARATION
been used against merchant shipping.
It is Impossible to defend ships against
their attacks as the law of nations
has assumed that merchantmen would
defend 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 do
stroy them before they have shown
their own intention. They must be
dealth 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 tho defense
of rights which no' modern publicist
has ever before questioned their right
to defend. The intimation Is convey
ed that tho armed guards which wo
have placed on our merchant ships
will be treated as beyond the pale of
law and subject to he dealt with as
pirates would be. Armed neutrality
Is ineffectual enough at best; in such
circumstances nnd in tho face of such
pretonslons, It Is worse than Ineffec
tual; It Is likely at once to produce
what it was meant to prevent; it
is practically certain to draw us into
the war without either the rights or
tho effectiveness of belligerents.
Thero is ono choice wo ennuot
make, wo l'to incapable of making.
Wo will not chooso tho path of sul-
mission nnd suffer tho most snored
rights of our nation and our iK-ople
1o bo ignored or violated. Tho wrongs
against which wo now iuiay ourselves
aro not common wrongs; they cut to
tho very roots of human life
'With a profound sense of tho sol
emn and even tragical character of the
step I am taking and of tho grave re
sponsibilities which it Involves, hut in
unhesitating obedience to what I deem
my constitutional duty, I advise that
the congress declare the recent course
of the imperial German government
to be in fact nothing less than war
against the government nnd people of
the United States; that it formally ac
cept tho status of belligerent, which
has thus been thrust upon It, and that
it take immediate steps not only to
put the country In a more thorough
state of defense, hut also to exert all
lis power and employ all Its resources
to bring tho government of the Ger
man empire to terms nnd end tho war.
Unties Aro ("lour
"What this will involve is clear. It
will Involve the utmost practicable co
operation In counsel and action with
tho governments 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 pos
sible, be added to theirs. It would in
volve tho organization and mobiliza
tion of all the material resources of
the country to supply the materials of
war and serve the Incidental needs of
tlo nation in the most abundant, and
yet me most economical and efficient
way possible. It will Involvo tho im
mediate full equipment of tho navy in
all respects, but particularly In sup
plying it with the best moans of deal
ing with the enemy's submarines. It
will Involvo the Immediate addition to
the armed forces of the Tutted ISatos
already provided for by law in case of
war, at least 500,000 men, who should,
in my opinion bo chosen upon the prin
ciple of universal liability to service
and also the authorization ol subse
quent additional Increments of equal
force so soon as they may be needed
and can be handled In training.
"It will Involve also, of course, .the
granting of adequate credits to the
government, sustained, 1 hope, so fat
as they can equitably bo sustained, by
the present generation by well-con-ceivrd
taxation. I say sustained so
far as may be equitable by taxation,
because It Beems to mo that It would
be most unwise to base tho credits,
which will now be necessary entirely
on money borrowed. It Is our duty, I
most respectfully urge, to protect our
people hs far as we may against the
verysorious hardships and evils, which
would be likely to arise out of the in
natation which would lo produced
by vast loans.
Aid for Allies
"In carrying out the measures by
which these things aro to be accom
plished, we should keep constantly in
mind the wisdom of Interfering as lit
tle as possible In our own preparation
and In tho equipment of our own mill
tary forces with the duty for It will
be a very piactlcal duty of supplying
the nations already at war with Ger
many with the raterlels which they
can obtain only ficm us or by our as
sistance. They are In the field and
we should help them In evety way to
be effective there.
"I shall take the liberty of suggest
ing, through tho several executive do
partmenls of the government for the
consideration of your committees,
measures for the accomplishment of
the several objects I have mentioned
1 ho that It will be your pleasure ti
ial with them as having Incn framed
N
after very careful thought by the
branch of tho government upon which
the responsibility of conducting the
war and safo-guardlng tho nation will
most directly fall.
Battle for Humanity
"While we do these things, these
deeply momentous things, let us bo
very clear and make very cloar to all
the world that our motives nnd our
objects aro. My own thought has not
been driven from its habitual and nor
mal course by the unhappy events of
the last two months, and I do not be
lieve that the thought of the nation has
been altered or clouded by them.
"I have exactly the same things in
mind now that 1 had In mind when 1
addressed the senate on tho 22nd of
January last; the same that I had in
mind when I nildressed the congress on
tho third of February and on the 26th
of February. Our object now, as then
Is to vindlcato tho principles of peace
and justice In the life of tho world its
against Belflsh and autocratic power
and to set amongst the really free and
self-governed peoples of the world such
a concert of purpose and of action as
will hencefcr.h insure the observance
of these principles.
Prussuinlsm Pence Menace
"Neutrality is no longer feasible or
desirable whero the peace of tho world
is involved and tho freedom of Its peo
ples, and tho menace to that pcaco and
freedom lies ill tho existence of auto
cratic governments backed by organ
ized force which is controlled wholly
by their will, not by the will of their
people. Wo have seen the last of neu
trality in such circumstances.
"We are at tho beginning of an age
In which It will be Insisted that the
same standards of conduct and of re
sponsibility for wrong done shall be
observed among nations and their gov
ernments that are observed among tho
individual citizens of civilized states.
, CVo Quarrel With People
"We have no quarrel with the Ger
man people. We have no feeling
towards them but one of sympathy and
friendship. It was not upon their
lmpulso that this government acted In
entering this war. It was not with
their previous knowledge or approval
It was a war determined upon as
wars used to be determined on In tho
old, unhappy days when peoples were
nowhere consulted by their rulers, and
wars were provoked and waged In the
interest of dynasties or of little groups
of ambitious men, who were accus
tomed to use their fellow men at
pawns and tools.
Spies (Jorawn 4'nrso
Self-governed nations do not fill
their nebjhbor states with spies, or
set the course of intribue to bring
about some critical posture of affairs
which will give them an opportunity to
strike nd make conquest. Such do
signs can bo successfully worked only!
der cover and where no ono has the
right to ask questions.
"Cunningly contrived plans of de
ception or aggression, carried, it may
be, from generation to generation, can
bo worked out and kept from tho light
only within tho privacy of courts or be
hind the carefully guarded confidences
of a narrow and privileged class. They
are happily Impossible where public
opinion commands and insists upon
full information concerning all the na
tions' affairs.
Mankind First
A steadfast concert for pcaco can
never be maintained except by a part-
nershln of democratic nations. No
autocratic government could be trust
cd to i eep faith within It or observe
its covenants. It must be a longue of
honor, a partnership of opinion. In
IriKUo would cat its vitals awn'-; tho
plotlliigs of Inner circles who could
plan what they would and render ac
count to no one would bo a corrup
tion ten toil at Us very heart. Only
free peoid'cs can hold their purpose
and ihttr honor steady to a common
end and prefer tho Interests of man
kind to any narrow interest of their
own.
Dots not every AnOnrnn feel that
assurance haB been added to our
hoi'0 for tho futuro peace of the
world by the wonderful nnd heart ui
lug things that havo been happening
within the last few weeks In llUBSia?
itussln lii-volt l esson
Kussla ivas known by Uiofo who
knew it best to havo been alwaye in
fa't democratic at heart, in all the
vital habln of her thought. In all the
intimate relationships of her people
thnt nnnkn tbolr natural Instinct
their habitual attitude towards lite
Tho autocracy that frowned the
summit of her political structure,
long as It had stood and terrible us
was tho reality of Its power, was not
In fact Russian In origin, character or
purpose; and now it tan been shaken
off and the great, generous Russian
people have been added in all their
naive malestv and might to the forces
that are fighting "or freedom In the
world, for Justhe and for peai e. Here'
Is a fit partner for a league of honor. J
OF STATE OF WAR
Intrigue Widespread
One of the things thnt has served
to convince us that the Prussian
autocracy waB not and could never bo
our friend is that from tho very out
set of the present war it has filled
our unsuspecting communities and
oven our offices of government with
spies and set criminal Intrigues every
where afoot against oiir national un
ity of council, our peae within and
without, our Industries nnd our com
merce. Indeed It Is now evident that Its
spies were here even before tho war
began; and it unhappily is not a mat
ter of conjecture, but a fact proved
In our courts of justice, that tho in
trigues which havo more than onco
como perilously near to disturbing
the pcaco and dislocating tho Indus
tries of the country havo been carried
on at tho instigation, with the sup
port, and even under the personal
direction of officinl agents of the
Imperial 'government accredited to
the government of the United States
Always tho Spies
'Even in checking these things and
trying to extirpate them we have
sought to put the most generous in
terpretations possible upon them ho
cause we know that their source lay,
not In any hostile feeling or purpose
of the Gorman people towards us
(who were, no doubt as Ignorant of
thcin as we ourselves were,) hut only
In the selfish designs of a government
that did what it pleased and told its
people nothing. But they have
planned thoir part in serving to con
vince us at last that that government
entertains no real friendship for us
and means to act against our peace
and security at Its convenience. That
It means to stir up enemies against
us at our very dooi'B, the Intercepted
note to !he German minister at Mex
ico City is eloquent evidence.
f fcr s I MOTHER I FATHER 1
I 'W Sj NAME I TIME 1
I " SfdlfiB f1 ' Ki EXPERTS IN TOBACCO I
1 WML m HEADQUARTERS jKtf 1
Partnert: .
Father Time Agei VELVET
Mother Nature Mellow ltr
An Unbeatable
Thar ain't a whole lot of differ
I tnce between a ripe penimmon
an' a nearly ripe one on the
t outride. Some of thete nrarly
matured tobaccor torter iavor
VELVET in look'. .
0cTia 5c MaUMined'Bafti I Ik. GUm Humidor
HOOST VOl It SAIiAltV I.N'nitKASK YOl'K EAKMNO CAPACITY
I tho
MEDFORD COM MERCIAL COLLEGE
DAY AM) MUIIT SCHOOL
COM.M KIM 'I A h lilt A XCII MS
KIIOIITIIAM) AMI TVI'KWHITIN'a
llOOKKKKI'INO A.VK CIVII, HCHX ICM
INHTKCCTION IMIIVIIlL'Afj AXI I.N CI,.VSSI-:S
STl'DK.NTH KNTKIt AT ANY TI.ME
CAM, AT TUB COM.WJIi!
HKK 1'S AT U'OHK
l'llO.NK 13-L 31 NOIU1I Ull.U'K T.
"We are accepting this challenge
of hostile purpose because wo know
that In such a government, following
such methods, we can never have a
friend; and that In tho presence of its
organized power, always lying In wait
to accomplish wo know not what pur
pose, there can bo no nssured security
for the democratic governments of
tho world. y
Pretenses Ended
"We are now about to accept the
gauge of battle with this natural foe
to liberty and shall, It necessary,
spend tho wholo force of tho nation
to check nnd nullify Its pretonslons
and its power. Wo nre glad, now
that we see tho facts with no veil of
false pretense about them, to fight
thus for tho ultlmnto peace of lu
wcrld and for the liberation of its
peoples, tho German peoples includ
ed; for the rights of nations great
and small and tho privilege of men
everywhere to chooso their way of
life and obedience. The world must
be mado safo for democracy. Its
peace must he planted upon the trust
ed foundations of political liberty.
"Wo havo no selfish ends to serve.
We desire no conquest, no dominion.
Wo seek no indemnities for ourselves,
no material compensation for tho
sacrifices we shall frooly mako. Wo
aro but ono of tho champions of the
rights of mankind. We shall ho sat
isfied when those rights have boon
as securo as the faith and tho freo
dom of tho nntions can make them.
Fight for Humanity
"Just because we fight without
rancour and without selfish objects
seeking nothing for ourselves but
what we shall wish to share as freo
peoples, wo. shall, I feel confident
conduct our operations as bolllgeronts
without passion and oursclvos oh-
servo with proud punctilio tho prin
ciples ot right and of fair play we
profoss to be. fighting for.
I have said nothing of tho govern
ments allied with tho imperial gov
ernment of Gormany because they
have not mado war upon us or chal
lenged us to dofend our right and our
honor. Tho AustrojIIungarlan gov
ernment has Indocd, avowed Its un
qualified indorsement and acceptance
of the reckless and lawless submar
ine warfare adopted now without dis
gulso by tho Imperial German govern-
When tobacco
curing methods
smokers pay the
There is no better method of bringing
out the mellowness and mildness of "Ken
tucky's best" than two years natural age-,
ing in wooden hogsheads.
VELVET is Kentucky's best Burley
tobacco aged by Nature's method, the
patient method, the expensive method,
but the best method known to man.
Think about that over a pipeof VELVET.
ment and it has therefore not been
possible for this government to re
celvo Count Tarnowskl, the ambassa
dor recently accredited to this gov
ernment by the Imperial and royal
government of Austiin-Hungary, but
that government has not actually en
gagod in warfare against citizens of
the United States on the sens and I
take the liberty, for the present at
least, of postponing q decision ot our
relations with the authorities at
Vienna. We enter this war only
where we aro clearly forced Into it,
because there are no other means of
defonding our rights.
Our Cause Is Just
"It will bo all tho easier for us to
conduct ourselves as belligerents In
a high spirit of right and fairness be
cause we act without animus, not in
enmity towards a pcoplo or with the
deslro to bring any Injury or disad
vantage upon thorn, but only In
armed opposition to an Irresponsible
government which has thrown aside
all considerations ot humanity and of
right and is running amuck.
Wo nro, let wo Bay again, tho sin-
core friends of tho German pcoplo,
and shall desire nothing bo much as
tho early re-cstnbllshment ot Intim
ate relations of mutual advantage be
tween us howover hard it may he
for them, for tho tlmo boing, to be
llovo thnt this Is spoken from our
honrts. We havo borne with their
present government through all these
hitter months because of that friend
ship exorcising a patience and for
bearance which would othorwlse have
been impossible. We shall, happily,
still have an opportunity to prove
that friendship in our daily attitude
and actions towards tho millions of
men and womes of Gorman birth nnd
natlvo sympathy who live amongst us
and share our lifo, nnd wo shall bo
proud to prove it towards all who are
in fact loyal to their neighbors and
to tho government In tho hour of
test. They aro, most of thoni, as true
and loyal Americans as If they had
nover known any other fealty or
allegiance Thoy would bo prompt to
stand with us In rebuking and re
straining tho few who may bo of a
different mind and purposo. If there
should be disloyalty, It will bo dealt
with with a firm hand of stern re
pression; hut, if it lifts its hoad at
Team: Time
manufacturers try to substitute hurry-up
for slow, natural ageing of tobacco, you
price.'
Beautiful All-Silk Money
back Silk, per yard. . . .
AT
VAU PEL'S
ASHLAND, OREGON
OF
Mn roll precipitation records for
different stations in the vnllev:
Orchard Home ..... 2.20
Jacksonville 2.47
(lardner's linnch (Tulcnt) 2.20
Ashland - 5.35
Xewliull's 2.2G
Alolm Hunch 2.00
Mod lord 1.88
Hull, K. B 1.89
Voolhills.Orchnrd .... 2.32
Experiment Station '. 2.110
Modoc Orchard 2.u'S
Ilolloway Orchard 1.93
Ilillorest Orchard - 2.2(i
all, it will lift it only here and there
and without countenance unloss from
a lawless and malignant few.
Tho Supremo Snciifico
"It Is a distressing and oppressive
duty, gentlemen of the congress,
which I have performed in thus ad
dressing you. Thero are, It may be,
many months of fiery trial and sacri
fice ahead ot us. H Is a fearful
thing to lead this great poaceful
country Into war, Into the most ter
rlblo and disastrous of all wars, civ
ilisation itself seeming to be In the
balance. But the right Is more prec
ious than peace, and we shall fight
for the things which we have always
carried nearest our hearts for de
mocracy for the right of those who
submit to authority to a voice In their
own governments, for the rights and
liberties of small nations, for a uni
versal dominion of right by such a
concert of freo peoples as Bhall bring
pcaco and Bafety to all nations, and
mnko tho world Itsolf at last free. To
such a task wo can dedicate our lives
nnd our fortunes, everything that wo
nre and everything that we have with
the prldo of those who know that the
day has come when America Is pro
vided to spend her blood and hor
might for the principles that gave
her birth and happiness and the
peace which she has treasured. God
helping hor, she can do no other."
1
and Nature 1
Iff
$2