DEFENDERS OF DEMOCRACY
This book is made possible by the generous co-operation of the officers ofthe West Point Manufacturing Company and Lanett Cotton Mills. It is theresult of the combined efforts of the War Service Station in each milllocality to pay at least a feeble tribute to the gallant doughboy whoenlisted in the cause of right and democracy. It is hoped that, as theyears pass by, these crusaders and their posterity may find an increasinginterest in this memorial to their heroism.
Also, it has been thought advisable to preserve a record of theaccomplishments of all those patriotic forces which contributed their parttowards the successful termination of the greatest conflict in history.
It would not be amiss to call particular attention to the War ServiceStations, under whose leadership was fostered practically all of thepatriotic work consummated by those at home. That these Stations were acomfort to our boys—in their interest and solicitude for them—isattested by the letters reproduced.
The President’s War Message
Delivered before Congress April 2, 1917
I have called the Congress into extraordinary session because there areserious, very serious, choices of policy to be made, and made immediately,which it was neither right nor constitutionally permissible that I shouldassume the responsibility of making.
On the third of February last, I officially laid before you theextraordinary announcement of the Imperial German Government that on andafter the first day of February it was its purpose to put aside allrestraints of law or of humanity and use its submarines to sink everyvessel that sought to approach either the ports of Great Britain andIreland or the western coasts of Europe or any of the ports controlled bythe enemies of Germany within the Mediterranean.
That had seemed to be the object of the German submarine warfare earlierin the war; but since April of last year the Imperial Government hadsomewhat restrained the commanders of its undersea craft in conformitywith 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 itssubmarines might seek to destroy, when no resistance was offered or escapeattempted, and care taken that their crews were given at least a fairchance to save their lives in their open boats.
The precautions taken were meager and haphazard enough, as was proved indistressing instance after instance in the progress of the cruel andunmanly business, but a certain degree of restraint was observed.
The new policy has swept every restriction aside. Vessels of every kind,whatever