nited alike in the
conception of our duty and in the high resolve to perform it in the
face of all men, let us dedicate ourselves to the great task to which
we must now set our hand. For myself I beg your tolerance, your
countenance, and your united aid. The shadows that now lie dark upon
our path will soon be dispelled and we shall walk with the light all
about us if we be but true to ourselves--to ourselves as we have
wished to be known in the counsels of the world and in the thought of
all those who love liberty and justice and the right exalted.

II

WE MUST ACCEPT WAR

(_Message to the Congress, April 2, 1917_)

Gentlemen of the Congress,--I have called the Congress into
extraordinary session because there are serious, very serious,
choices of policy to be made, and made immediately, which it was
neither right nor constitutionally permissible that I should assume
the responsibility of making.

On the 3d of February last I officially laid before you the
extraordinary announcement of the Imperial German Government that on
and after the first day of February it was its purpose to put aside
all restraints of law or of humanity and use its submarines to sink
every vessel that sought to approach either the ports of Great
Britain and Ireland or the western coasts of Europe or any of the
ports controlled by the enemies of Germany within the Mediterranean.
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 had somewhat restrained the commanders of its undersea
craft in conformity 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 submarines might seek to destroy
when no resistance was offered or escape attempted, and care taken
that their crews were given at least a fair chance to save their
lives in their open boats.

The precautions taken were meager and haphazard enough, as was proved
in distressing instance after instance in the progress of the cruel
and unmanly business, but a certain degree of restraint was observed.

GERMANY'S RUTHLESS POLICY

The new policy has swept every restriction aside. Vessels of every
kind, whatever their flag, their character, their cargo, their
destination, their errand, have been ruthlessly sent to the bottom
without warning, and without thought of help or mercy for those on
board, the vessels o