United States -- Politics and government -- 1913-1921; World War, 1914-1918 -- United States
One very embarrassing obstacle that stands in our way is that we are at
war with Germany but not with her allies. I therefore very earnestly
recommend that the Congress immediately declare the United States in a
state of war with Austria-Hungary. Does it seem strange to you that this
should be the conclusion of the argument I have just addressed to you?
It is not. It is in fact the inevitable logic of what I have said.
Austria-Hungary is for the time being not her own mistress but simply
the vassal of the German Government. We must face the facts as they are
and act upon them without sentiment in this stern business. The
government of Austria-Hungary is not acting upon its own initiative or
in response to the wishes and feelings of its own peoples but as the
instrument of another nation. We must meet its force with our own and
regard the Central Powers as but one. The war can be successfully
conducted in no other way. The same logic would lead also to a
declaration of war against Turkey and Bulgaria. They also are the tools
of Germany. But they are mere tools and do not yet stand in the direct
path of our necessary action. We shall go wherever the necessities of
this war carry us, but it seems to me that we should go only where
immediate and practical considerations lead us and not heed any others.
The financial and military measures which must be adopted will suggest
themselves as the war and its undertakings develop, but I will take the
liberty of proposing to you certain other acts of legislation which seem
to me to be needed for the support of the war and for the release of our
whole force and energy.
It will be necessary to extend in certain particulars the legislation
of the last session with regard to alien enemies; and also necessary, I
believe, to create a very definite and particular control over the
entrance and departure of all persons into and from the United States.
Legislation should be enacted defining as a criminal offense every
wilful violation of the presidential proclamations relating to alien
enemies promulgated under section 4067 of the Revised Statutes and
providing appropriate punishments; and women as well as men should be
included under the terms of the acts placing restraints upon alien
enemies. It is likely that as time goes on many alien enemies will be
willing to be fed and housed at the expense of the Government in the
detention camps and it would be the purpose of the legislation I have
suggested to confine offenders among them in penitentiaries and other
similar institutions where they could be made to work as other criminals
do.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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