Show WILSON ASKS FOR ARMED POWER PRESIDENT determined PROTECT AMERICAN LIVES AGAINST submarines violation of rights and intolerable blockade brings chief executive before congress with yia appeal for authority to act washington Pret president dent wilson on february asked con congress grehs tor borau authority to usi use the forces of the united states to american chipi and lives against the german submarine menace to t 0 put the nation in a state of armed neutrality the immediate response was tho the introduction in the house of i a bill approved in advance by the president pres ident empowering rim him to furnish guns and gunners to american merchantmen merchantman merchant men and to I 1 employ such other inspru mentalities and methods as nay may become necessary and gro providing viding for or a bond issue tobe to be used in its bis discretion for forwar war insurance to encourage american commerce to brave the ti submarine peril I 1 the presidents long expected ne ac tion while received in the main w with 16 expressions of support threatens to force an extra session of congress standing at the clerks desk in the hall ball of the house grave calm speaking earnest earnestly li in the a attitude now familiar the president ft delivered livered hla his address while congress oaf eat in tense respectful silence fully impressed with the soberness of the occasion no cheers and applause such as have burst out before punctuated abed his sentences by common consent the members retrained refrained from demonstration there were vigorous nods of approval from democrats and republicans who WAO have been urging a forward for viard course silence and indications of reserved thought from those opposed but at the conclusion of the ad dress when the president spoke of the fundamental rights on which are based the structure of family state and liberty and said 1 I cannot imagine a man with Amr elcan principles in his heart hesitating to defend these things cheers rebounded sounded re through the chamber I 1 for four foul weeks an unrestricted submarine warfare the president told congress has seen the destruction of atlease at least two american ships american commerce comme commerce ice driven in a large measure from the seas through tear fear of the peril and il a resulting congestion of Amer americas las vital industries growing more serious every day the fact that more american lives had not been lost he said was due to the tact fact that german submarine commanders head had exercised an unexpected discretion and restraint rather than because of the instructions under which they wera were acting to be ain unprepared with congress out of session the president said would be most imprudent consequently he asked for authority to act during the course of his address president wilson told congress I 1 am not proposing nor contemplating war or any steps that might lead to w war ar war can only come iby the ahe wilful acts band and aggressions of others I 1 must ask for your su porting authority in the most general terms we must defend our commerce rom merce and the lives of our people with discretion but with clear and steadfast purpose I 1 request that you will authorize me to supply our merchant ships with defensive arms should that become necessary and with the means of bf using them and to employ an instrumentalities mentalities itle or methods that may be necessary and adequate to protect our ships and our people in their legitimate and peace peaceful tul pursuits on jib he seas I 1 request also a sufficient credit to enable me to provide adequate moans means of protection where they axe are lacking including adequate insurance against war risk I 1 feel that I 1 ought to obtain from you full and immediate insurance iss assurance urance of the authority which a H may need at any moment to exercise no doubt I 1 already possess that authority without special warr warrant antof of law our own commerce is suf suffering ferin g rather in apprehension than in tact fact because so many of our ships are timidly keeping to their home ports than by ships having baying abeen sunk this itself if might presently accomplish in effect whit what the new german submarine orders were meant to accomplish com so tar as we ve are concern concerned A the case of the lyman M law dis a receives grave condemnation but was accompanied by no circumstances which might not have been expected at any time in connection with the use ot of the submarine against mer chantlen chant men as aa tho ger german man government has used it there may be no recourse but to armed neutrality which we shall now have to maintain and for which there Is abundant american precedent |