OCR Text |
Show I Wilson Severs Diplomatic I Relations With Germany I War Warning Sent Kaiser, Who is i Told That Loss of American Lives Wjjf at Sea Means Hostilities. Passports Are Handed Count Von Bernitorff, German M Ambassador, and Ambassador Gerard and His Staff H Have Been Ordered Home. Dignity and Honor H of Nation Demands Step, Says President B Washington President WilHon ha B broken off diplomatic relations with B Germany and warned the kaiser that BV ruthless sacrifice of American lives L and rights means war. Jmll&r actlon '" waning for AustrlH H ahe notifies this government H !lttjmn oi"M '" th" ,iimimlKn of un H 'TjuBtol submarine warfare. F b4sst president made formal an H jjHfx'Pinrnt of his action to the ooun H atM.an1 tne worla" on February 3 W J a B Joint session of congress. voassporus have been handed Count bbv- wlr Uernstorrf; Ambassador Gerard, suV1 lllH M,l?f- lin,l h1 American con BB nw bave been ordered out of Kit HB jany. All German consuls in the Hr dnltnd State are expected to with Kjb. may,J,at tMB severance of relations Htr maticY0 complete. American dlplo- BBr tumeA'n'trnt n Berlin have been V malic v,r to Spain; Oerman dlplo K V, have $Jnt,r,Mt ,n tno United States Bl Steif"''n taken over by Switzerland k theJan diplomatic interests which L . OeiVnlted States had in charge in BB VarAiiy have been turned over to Hbsli' Taw neutrals. (PH years of diplomatic ncgot.la- BBBBBsWm. marked with frequent BBB attended with the loss of more than BBB) too American HveB on the high Seas, BBH have culminated with an act which In BBB nil the history of all the world ha al- BBH ways led to war. Every agency of BBVBV the American government has been LBBa. Ct '" ,notloM t( Protect the country against acts of German sympathisers. These moves are necessity being Bt kept secret. Bk With the notice of severance of dlp- BBHH lomatlc relations, the United States BBvBE sent to Berlin a demand for the im VNs)V mediate release sixty four Araerl B cans taken from ship captured by BBb Oerman raiders In the south Atlantic. BBB At the request of the president, con BV Cress, Immediately after hearing bis Hfl address, began work on new laws BB framed by the department of Justice BH to check conspiracies and plots against BBt the United States which cannot be H reached under existing statutes. H The question of convoying Amer- A lean merchant ships through the sub- B marine blockade has been taken up B and is being considered as one of the Bk next moves by this government. BBBA The news of the torpedoing of the B. . American steamer Housatonlc, coming BjaV eimost before President fc forrt in congress had died away, cre- ated a tremendous does) not ne'essarlly constitute such Bf an Invasion of American rights as the W president said he would meet by ask BBBBBJ Ing congress for additional authority BJ BBB At 10:30 o'clock Saturday morning BBBBBj it became known that Ambassador BBBBBJ Gerard bad 'been ordered home and BBBBBm that passports had been sent to Count BBBBBb von llerustorff. Although there was BBBBBB no official confirmation of the presl- L decision he formally nounced It himself to congress, the BBBBBBBBl knowledge spread rapidly. BBBBBBBBV Count von Hernstorff heard' It un W null BBBBBBBBB correspondent . While apparently Bk deeply moved, he was surprised. Bj His first act was to ask Dr. Kit Hf the ti tn BL' the Herman embassy to BBBBBBBBBBT take over Its affairs. Then be in- BBvW HBBB Woman, of the development and like BBBB Vise told the embassy staff. His BBVB paesports were not actually delivered BBBB until 2 o'clock In the afternoon. BBBB President Wilson kept himself in BBVB seclusion during the morning, except BBB for a brief conference with Secretary P9 Lansing, until he left the White BH ' House for the capltol shortly before HH( t o'clock. BH As usual a committee of congress- BB xnen met the president and escorted BB fcUn to the speaker's dais. The whole BB body rose and olieereu as the presi- BBY 4ent, Sickuowledgliig their greeting BB' without bis usual smile, but grliu- mt faced and solemn, took Ins place at BB the clerk's desk and began reading BV the document which Is being hoard BB "round the world." BB Brlafly he reviewed how, last April, HK She United Status warned Cerniuuy after the dentructlon of the Sussex that unless the Imperial government declared and effected un ssmndonment of that sort of submarine warfare the United States would have no choice but to sever dtoplomatlc relations altogether. al-together. Then he quoted from the (Ierman reply which gave assurances hat no ships would be sunk without earning and provision for safety of passengers and crew, lie recounted the provision the (Ierman government attached, which In effect reserved to itself the right to recant Its promises if the United States did not secure relaxation of the Rrltish restraints on commerce, and then quoted from the reply of the United states, which refused re-fused to consider a conditional pledge and gave Germany final warning that it could not entertain or discuss any such suggestion. The president did not refer to the long list of submarine operations which have been conducted In violation viola-tion of the Sussex pledge, but proceeded pro-ceeded at once to the new war scene order which became effective February Feb-ruary 1. When he told how the German proclamation proc-lamation left nothing for the honor and dignity of the United States but a break In relations and that he had ordered paasports sent to Von Hern storrf and a recall to Mr. Gerard, the. assemblage broke Into a cheer la which Republicans and Democrats! alike Joined. More applause greeted his declaration that only an overt act could convince him that Germany intended in-tended to violate American lives and rights, and there was prolonged applause ap-plause and cheering when he concluded con-cluded by announcing that should American ships and lives be sacrificed "In heedless contravention of the Just and reasonable understanding of International In-ternational law and the obvious dictates dic-tates of humanity," he would again appear before congress to ask authority author-ity to "use any means that may be necessary for the protection of our seamen and our people." As he concluded there were cheers of approval from both sides of the chamber, and the president returned to the White House to discuss measures meas-ures of precaution with Secretary Daniels of the navy and Secretary linker of the war department. Neutral governments have been notified of the action of the United States and have been openly invited to follow its action If the new submarine sub-marine campaign violates their rights. |