Show WILSON ASKS FOR 1 d' d ARMED POWER I t PRESIDENT PRESIDENT DETERMINED TO 10 AMERICAN LIVES AGAINST SUBMARINES of Rights and Intolerable Blockade Brings Chief Executive t Before Congress With Appeal I for Authority to Act Washington President President Wilson on Fe February asked congress congress f for r. r raU au authority aU oni to to us usa use the forces of at the U Unit Unit- it ed States States to protect Am ships ships l land and lives against the German submarine submarine suma rine menace to put the nation in in a i state strite of armed neutrality The immediate response response was the Introduction In the hou house 13 of a bill bin approved in advance by the president nt nt empowering him to furnish guns and guilDers gunners to American merchantmen and and to employ such other instrUmentalities instrumentalities mentalities and methods as fiS may become necessary and providing i ing fo foa foa for fora a bond issue to be used In his discretion for war insurance ranc to encourage American commerce commerce to br brave ve the submarine peril The presidents president long-expected long a ac action tion Uon while received in n the main maid with expressions ot Or support threatens to force an extra session of congress Standing at the clerks clerk's desk in the hall hail of the house grave calm speakIng speaking speak speak- ing earnestly in the attitude now famIlIar familiar fa fa- a- a millar the president delivered his address while congress sat In tense respectful silence fully impressed with the soberness of the occasion N No cheers and applause such as have burst out before punctuated his sentences sentences sen gen By common consent common consent the members members mem mem- b bers rs refrained from demonstration There were vigorous nods of approval from Crom Democrats and Republicans who have been urging a forward course silence and indications of reserved t thought from those opposed But at the conclusion of the address address address ad ad- dress when the president spoke of the fundamental rights on which are based the structure of family state stat and liberty and said I uI cannot imag Ine Inc a man with principles in his heart hesitating to Defend these things cheers r resounded sounded through the chamber For four weeks an unrestricted submarine warfare the president told i congress congress has seen the destruction o oat of at least two American ships American commerce driven in a large measure from the seas through fear o oC the peril and a resulting con con- gastion of Americas America's s vital l industries growing more serious every day The fact that more American lives had not been lost lost he said was due due to the fact that German submarine com corn com manders mandels had exercised an unexpected ed discretion and restraint rather than because of ot the Instructions under they were acting To be unprepared un unprepared prepared with congress out of session session ses ses- sion slon the president sa said l. l would be most Imprudent Consequently he he asked for authority to act net During the course of his address President Wilson Vilson told congress I 1 Iam Iam am not proposing nor contemplating war or any steps that might lead to war are ar War can only come toy thy the wilful acts act and aggressions of others I must ask for your your authority authority au I in the most general terms We Vc must defend our commerce and the tl-e lives of our people with discretion l but with clear and steadfast purpose I request th t you will authorize me sue to supply our merchant ships with I h defensive arms anns should that become necessary and with th the means of us using ing lug them and to employ any any other in or m methods that ma mab may maybe maybe b be necessary and adequate to protect protect protect pro pro- our ships and oUr people In fn their legitimate and peaceful pursuits on the seas I request a also so a sufficient credit to enable me to provide adequate means of protection where they tiley are lacking Including adequate insurance against war risk I feel that I ought to obtain from you full and immediate assurance of the authority which l II may need at any moment IJ to exercise No doubt I already already already al al- al- al ready possess that authority without special warrant of law Our own commerce is suffering rather rathel in tn apprehension than in fact tact because so so m many ny of our ships ar are timidly timidly timidly tim tim- idly keeping to their home ports than j I by ships having been sunk This itself might presently accomplish pUsh In effect what the new German submarine orders were meant t f to accomplish ac ac- co sh so far as we are concerned The case of the Lyman M. M I. I Law dis closed a a of or method which receives s grave condemnation but was accompanied by no circumstances Which might not have been expected at any time In connection with the Use tine of the submarine against merchantmen mer nier- as the German 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 |