The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1916-04-25
PRESIDENT Tells
CONGRESS ABOUT
HIS ULTIMATUM
Joint Session Hears of Action
That May Result in Broken
Relations.
GERMANY SHARPLY INDICTED
MIR. Wilson Sets Forth Progress of
Kaiser's Submarine Warfare, His
Futile Promises and the Final Elk
haustion of Americas Patience.

haustion of Americas Patience.
House of Representatives, the Cap
ftol, Washington, April 2O.-Sharply
indicting Germany for its use of sub
marines against merchant vessels,
President Wilson yesterday, before
joint session Of congress, issued pub
lie notice to the world that unless that
government changes its methods the
United States will have no choice
but to sever diplomatic relations.
THE history in the making was
witnessed By one Of the largest gath
erings that has ever been damned into
the historic chamber of the house OF
representatives. Every single inch
Of available space was occupied, while
literally thousands were turned away.
There was no questioning the seri-
BUSINESS of the presidents position.
His voice, somewhat husky, penetrated
every corner of the room, and the
message was emphasized with an ex-
preston that showed it's author was
fearful Of the outcome. That serious
ness was shared by the audience, the
usual applause given the presidents
utterances being absent.
The message in every sense was an
ultimatum True, it contained no time
limit within which reply must be made.
But it fatty insisted that the German
submarine warfare has reached the
stage when this government will no
longer tolerate it.
The German explanations. previous
ly made, have been accepted in good
faith, the president said, in the hope
that that government would finally
be able to so order and control the acts
Of its naval commanders as to square
its policy with the position of human
ity as embodied in the law of ma
tons"
The United States had been willing
to wait, the president said, until the
significance of the facts became abso-
lutely unmistakable and susceptible
Of but one Interpretation" That point,
he said, has now unhappily been
reached"
Text of Presidents Address.
Following is the complete text of
the presidents address:
Gentlemen of the Congress: A stu
alton has arisen in the foreign rela-
tions of the country of which it is my
plain duty to inform you very frankly.
1t will be recalled that in Febru-
airy, 1915, the imperial German govern
ment announced its intention to treat
the waters surrounding Great Britain
and Ireland as embraced within the
seat OF war and to destroy all mer-
chant ships owned by its enemies that
might be found within any part of
that portion Of the high seas, and that
it warned all vessels, Of neutral as
well as Of belligerent ownership. to
keep out of the waters it had thus
prescribed, or else enter them at their
peril The government Of the United
States earnestly protested 1t took
the position that such a policy could
not be pursued without the practical
certainty Of gross and palpable viola
tons Of the law Of nations, particular
" If submarine craft were to be en-
ployed as its instruments, inasmuch as
the rules prescribed by that law, rules
founded upon principles CT humanity
and established for the protection of
the lives of noncombatants at sea
could not in the nature Of the case he
observed by such vessels. 1t based
its protest on the ground that persons
OF neutral nationality and vessels of
neutral ownership would be exposed
to extreme and intolerable risks. and
that no right to close any part of the
high seas against their use or TO ex
pose them to such risks could lawfully
be asserted by any belligerent govern
ment. The law of nations in these
matters, upon which the government
of the United States based it's protest
is not of recent origin or founded upon
merely arbitrary principles set ND by
convention. 1t is based. on the con-
trary. upon manifest and imperative
principles of humanity and has long
been established with the approval
and by the express assent of all civil
liked nations.
Protest Was Disreaarded.
Notwithstanding the earnest pro-
test of our government, the imperial
German government at once proceeded
tc carry out the policy it has an
nounced. 1t expressed the hope that
the dangers involved, at any rate the
dangers to neutral vessels, would be
reduced to minimum by the instruc-