The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1916-04-20
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE is
PRACTICALLY ULTIMATUM
He Appears Before Joint Ses-
sion of House and Senate and
Tells Lawmakers That Ger
many Has Been Given Last
Warning.

WASHINGTON, April 19.-Presi-
dent Wilson told congress, assembled
in joint session shortly after | o'clock
this afternoon, he has given Germany
final irrevocable notification that
the United States will break off diplo-
matte relations if her illegal subma-
rine campaign is continued
A note, Americas last word, prac-
tically an ultimatum, and demanding
an immediate reply, presumably was
in the Berlin foreign office as the
president was speaking. 1t was dis
patched last night in accordance with
the presidents plan to have it before
the German government at the same
moment he was addressing the
American congress.
The president asked no action
whatever of congress. He simply in
formed it of the accumulation of
facts proving that Germany's assur-
ances to the United States are being
violated, that the submarine cam
paign, despite the earnest protests of
the United States, is being conducted
with renewed vigor in contravention
of all the laws of nations and human
ity and that he means to sever rela-
tiOns unless it is brought within the
law. Diplomatic history of the world
showed that such a course is almost
certain to be followed by war.
The president said:
Gentlemen of the congress: A
situation has arisen in the foreign re-
lations of the country of which it is
my plain duty to inform you very
frankly:
1T will be recalled that in Febru-
ary, 1915, the imperial German gov
ernment. announced it's intention to
treat the waters surrounding Great
Britain and Ireland as embraced with
in the seat of war and to destroy all
merchant ships owned by it's 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
certainly of gross and palpable viola.
tions of the law of nations, particu-
larly if submarine craft were to be
employed as its instruments, ilas.
much as the rules prescribed by that
law, rules founded upon principles OF
humanity and established for the pro-
lection of the lives of non-combatants
at sea, could not in the nature of the
case be observed by such vessels. II
based it's protest on the ground that
persons of neutral nationality and yes
sells of neutral ownership would be
exposed to extreme and intolerable
risks, and that no right to close any
part of the high seas against thei1
use or to expose them to such risks
could lawfully be asserted by any bel
ligerent government. The law of ma
tions in these matters, upon which the
government of the United States
based its protest is not of recent ori
gin or founded upon merely arbitrary
principles set up by convention. 1t is
based. on the contrary, upon manifest
and imperative principles of human
ity, and has long been established
with the approval and by the express
assent of all civilized nations.
Notwithstanding the earnest pro
test of our government the Imperial
government of Germany at once pro
ceeded to carry out the policy it hat
announced. 1t expressed the hope
that the dangers involved, at any rate