Source: File: President
Woodrow Wilson asking Congress to declare war on Germany, 2 April 1917. See an
original image at:
<http://historylearning.com/american-politics/president-and-congress/>
[Accessed 07 April 2017]
A serious cloud hung above
the two assemblies
Of United States Congress, who were called
To a session 2 April 1917 with formalised
Decisions to make; Mr Champ
Clark was speaker.
President Wilson paced, impatient
to give his
Address; he would not wait until
morning
3 April, though he informed the house
Preparations would not be
ready before 7 p.m.
A president had never before
made any address
To congress in the evening -
Wilson
Made insistence for a chosen
hour as
8.00 p.m. - in Britain this would be the early hours.
On entering the grand
chamber President
Wilson made a heavy step to
podium
And looked about the array
of alert
Members - the time had approached 8.30 p.m.
Without any further ceremony, the grave speaker
Began to advise Congress of
reluctant
Reasons to follow severed relations
With Germany - Woodrow
Wilson read his paper.
Explanation was for an
extraordinary session,
Due to the serious nature of
immediate
Policy to be put into place
- a decision
That President Wilson could
not take alone.
Events stemmed from 3 February,
to follow
From 1 February, when
imperial
Germany laid aside all
restraints
To sink any vessel about European Ports.
This applied to all Irish,
British, and Western
Europe or Mediterranean
ports;
Restraint from April 1916, had given
Warnings and exemptions to all civilian boats.
President went on to explain
how even those
Hospital ships carrying
wounded,
Despite an identification by
ensign
Or flag, were being sunk
without compassion.
A quiet congress listened to
expectant words,
Spoken by a president that
had
Sought peace, tell of
German
Policy devoid of restriction
to all sea users.
A picture was built; 'Warfare
against mankind' -
Wilson advised against
excitement
At the deaths of non
combatants,
And American lives lost by
submarine attacks.
German submarine actions had
devolved
All discrimination for
neutral
Nations - revenge should not
be
Motivation, but vindication
of human rights.
A statement unfolded to the quiet
listeners
Who had already guessed
The speaker’s conclusion:
To add constitutional duty
for mobilisation.
The United States of America
would move
To cooperation with those
other
Governments at war with
Germany,
To organise and add to their
war resources.
Naval equipment would be
openly supplied.
Recruitment of 500,000
universal
Able men to be trained, ready
For the time when they might
be needed.
President Wilson added his
clarification
To vindicate need for world
peace
And justice against all autocratic
Powers, not against the German
people.
With structure of a speech, Wilson
reiterated
By employment of persuasion,
In emphasis and repetition,
To draw his purpose and
final conclusions.
By argument of examples
President
Wilson pertained the
objective
Of a nation - to express
personal
Distress of America's future
sacrifices.
War that existed already recognised to be
Seen as disastrous, yet
civilisation
Hung in balance: the rights
of free
People would ultimately create world peace.
by Jamie Mann.
Anon.,1917.
Declaration By President Wilson - A State Of War - Address to Congress. The
Daily Telegraph, [online] 3 April 1917. P.5. Col.4. Available at: <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12214427/Daily-Telegraph-April-3-1917.html>
[Accessed: 07 April 2017].
Source: File: Wilson's War
Message To Congress. Available at: <https://wwi.lib.byu.edu/index.php/Wilson%27s_War_Message_to_Congress>
[Accessed 07 April 2017]
Mann, J., 2016. 100
years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 07 April
2017).
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12214427/Daily-Telegraph-April-3-1917.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12214427/Daily-Telegraph-April-3-1917.html
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