Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1916-04-25
GERMAN BREAK
BELIEVED NEAR
President to Go Before Congress
Today.
DRASTIC ACTION IS PLANNED
Wilson to Present Facts to Lawmak-
ers at Joint Session Before Send
ing Note to kaiser-Bern-
storff Turned Down.

Washington. April 19.-President
Wilson will discuss the submarine
crisis today with Senators Stone and
Lodge and Representatives Flood and
Cooper, the ranking majority and mi
nority members of the congressional
foreign affairs committee, before he
goes before congress and lays the en-
tire German submarine issue before
both houses. A break in diplomatic
relations is said to be imminent.
Both houses passed promptly reso-
luton providing for a joint session in
the house chamber this afternoon.
There was no announcement as to the
purpose of the presidents coming.
confers With Leaders.
This action was taken after Secre-
tary Tumulty went to the capital after
a cabinet meeting and took up the
question with Majority Leader Kitch-
in of the house, Majority Leader Kern
Of the senate and Senator Stone. chair
man of the foreign relations commit
tee. They Immediately went into con-
ference with Speaker Clark of the
house.
New Note for Kaiser.
No official of the administration
would say definitely what course had
been decided upon. Some kind of COM
munication will go forward to Berlin
probably today, but apparently no one
but the president and the members of
his cabinet knows what it will be.
The president has completed the
communication he will deliver to con-
gress. Up to the present it had been
thought he would send this communi-
cation to Berlin. 1t was decided, how
ever, that the situation has become so
serious as to require more drastic
steps.
Congress to Get Issue.
1t has been stated and reiterated
that before taking any step tending
to lead to a rupture in diplomatic re-
latiOns or war the president would
lay the situation before congress.
On this account, when unofficial
word of the nature of the message to
be delivered today began to circu-
late, it was taken for granted on both
sides OF the capitol that drastic &C
ton was impending.
The presidents decision was
reached after long consideration of
a mass of evidence that Germany had
been violating solemn pledges regard
ing the conduct of submarine war
fare.
A long list of disasters to peaceful
vessels, many of them under neutral
flags and many carrying American
citizens, was gone over carefully by
the president and his advisers and
was understood to have been in
cluded in the communication drafted
for dispatch to Germany.
Bernstorff Gets Rebuff.
Count Won Bernstorff, the German
ambassador. called on Secretary Ian
sing and was told by the secretary
that he could not discuss the subma-
rine issue with him at this time.
Count Won Bernstorff, however, pre-
scented a memorandum to Secretary
Lansing stating that Germany under
no circumstances would give up sub
marine warfare which, he reiterated,
was in retaliation for the British food
blockade of Germany, but that his
government was attempting to con-
duct it in accord with international
law and the assurances given to the
United States.
For any unauthorized violations of
those assurances, he reiterated Ger
many was ready to make amends.
Will Not Affect Plans.
Mr.. Lansing said later that the
ambassadors visit would have no eff
feet upon the course already deter
mined upon by the American govern
ment.
There were some indications that
Ambassador Gerard has been in
formed by the Berlin foreign office
Of it's desires to meet the wishes of
the United States if it is shown that
the channel steamer Sussex was de-
stroyed by a submarine in violation
of the German governments instruc-
tons and that Count Won Bernstorff
was authorized to make such a state
ment in general terms to Secretary
Lansing.