Show Presidents President's Note to Germany Leaves Not Nol ii a Chance for WASHINGTON ASHINGTON April 20 P President President Wilson in his ultimatum to Germany made mads It plain that only by th the withdrawal with with- With of f Its present undersea warfare war war- far fare far policy would It be possible for forthe forthe forthe the imperial German Gennan government to continue its friendly relations with the Uni United ed States He recalled several In Incidents In- In cid where ships of neutral nations and unarmed craft of belligerent na- na Horts have ha been attacked and s sunk without warning by the G German nn n s sUb sUb- b- b ma maxines and laid special stress on th the tec recent nt Sussex disaster After recounting the Incidents connected connected con con con- with the attack on the Sus Sussex ex carried many citizens of the United States the presidents president's note said S If sf f the sinking of the Sus Sussex Sussat x had bee been an isolated case the government of ot t the te e Unit United d St States tes might find It possible pos- pos sible to hope that the officer who was r responsible for th that t act had wilfully violated ted his orders or had been crimInally crim criminally J negligent In taking none of tl the e 4 precautions precaution they prescribed and that t e ends of justice might be bo satisfied by ng upon pon him An adequate punishment coupled with a formal disavowal dis dis- dis avo avowal al of the act and payment of a suitable indemnity by the impe imperial Jal r gov government But though the at attack ac upon the Sussex was manifestly Indefensible Inde inde- en and caused a loss of life ife so as to make It stand forth as one oxe of the most terrible examples of thes inhumanity of submarine warfare as the he commanders of German vessels are conducting it it unhappily does not stand alone S Th The Law of Nations Continuing the tha president says that in r view of the circumstances the United States is forced by the recent events to tot tor t r conclude that the attack on t the e Sussex is only one Instance of the deliberate 5 method and spirit of Indiscriminate de destruction de- de of ot merchant vess vessels l of all sorts The president upholds the rights of neutrals neutrals neutrals neu neu- to travel on unarmed craft craft and and on this contention says The law of nations In these thelle matters upon which the government of ot the theS S United States based that protest Is not of ot recent origin or founded upon merely I arbitrary principles set up by convention conven conven- tion It is based on the contrary upon manifest principles of humanity and has hasI I and long dl b by been e the he hee e established express assent s with l of the all il approval civilized Y fi I nations S Attention is called to the failure of ot commanders of German undersea craft craftS to live up to the instructions which the S I I Berlin given I n J them government covering l ga announced the u attack f k kh h had on merchant merchant mer mer- been chant vessels On this score the note noteS S is most moat emphatic and nd say says 5 Break Breaks Many Promises 1 The Imperial government notwithstanding standing persisted in carrying out the policy announced expressing the hope j that the dangers Involved at any rate to neutralists would be reduced to a S. S minimum by the instructions which itI it I had Issued to the commanders of its submarines and assuring the government 5 of ot the United States that it tt would take I every possible precaution both to respect the rights of neutrals and to safeguard safeguardS S the lives of noncombatants S S I In pursuance of this poll policy y of submarine submarine i rine warfare against the commerce of ol S I its adversaries thus announced and thus S entered upon in spite of the solemn protest protest protest pro pro- pro pro- test of the government of ot the United States the commanders of the Imperial governments government's undersea vessels have carried car ear ned ried on practices of ot ruthless destruction which have made it more and more evident evi ev- I dent as the months have gone by that the Imperial government v t has found it Wi hi r impracticable r to put any such r restraints n upon the them as it had bad loped hoped and promised S to put Again and again the imperial government has given its solemn assurances assurances assur assur- assurances ances to the government o of the United States that at least passenger ships would woOld not be th thus s dealt with and yet it has repeatedly permitted its undersea commanders to disregard those assurances assur assur- ances with entire impunity As recently as last It gave notice that it would regard all armed merchantmen owned by its enemies s as part of the naval forces of its adversaries and deal with them as with men of ot war thus at least by implication pledging itself to tc tel give warning to vessels which were not armed and to accord s a security o of life to their passengers ass and crews but even this limitation limitation their submarine commanders have recklessly slY ignored I Attack Without Warning I President Wilson called called attention to the fact that Instead of or the he German government government govern govern- ment meat adopting a lange change ll of submarine war with relation to merchant marine the kaisers kaiser's ships have continued to at attack attack attack at- at tack neutral and unarmed vessels without without with with- out warning The roll of t Americans er nf f who who- have lost st lives u upon ships thus attacked and d destroyed has grown month month by un n the ominous toll has mounted into hundreds says the ultimatum The president r calls attention to the t IT l tt tl patience c of the United States t I in this matter and says sayil that it has exerted every eyer effort to maintain the genuine friendly relations which have heretofore existed In conclusion he points out however that the United States government has exhausted this patience and demands that the German government make known at once its intentions The Th concluding paragraph of the note put the decision entirely up to Germany and is as follows If If it still Is the purpose purpose of the imperial government to prosecute relentless and indiscriminate warfare against vessels of commerce by the use of 01 submarines without regard to what the government lot of the United States must consider the sacred and aud indisputable rules of International International law Jaw and the universally recognized dictates of humanity the government of the United States is at last forced to the conclusion that there Is is' but one course it can pursue Unless the imperial government government government gov gov- should not immediately declare and effect an abandonment of its present methods of submarine warfare against passenger and freight carrying vessels the government the of the United States ates can have no choice but to sever diplomatic relations with the German empire altogether alto alto- gether This action the government of or orthe the United States contemplates with the greatest reluctance but feels constrained to take In behalf of or humanity and the rights of neutral nations Appended to the note Is a full statement statement state state- statement ment of facts regarding the attack on the channel steamer Sussex This appendix appendix appendix appen appen- dix carries the statements of passengers and affidavits of American citizens on onboard onboard onboard board the boat which tell of ot the approach of the torpedo which was seen plainly from the deck of the of-the the vessel It also carries carrica car car- rica ries the report of findings made by investigation investigation Ug of American consular agents which the cote Jote says prove beyond all reasonable doubt that the the- channel ste steamer steam steam- mer m- m er erVas was Vas attacked and struck by a German Gerwan torpedo and without w warning |