The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1916-04-19
President Declares That if Ger.
many Does Not Comply
There Will Be a Break.
CONGRESS is SIMPLY TOLD
No Action Whatever is Asked of
the Congress by Nations
Chief Executive.

tsr ASSOCIATED PRess,
WASHINGTON, April 19.-President
Wilson told Congress assembled in
joint session shortly after / o'clock
this afternoon he was giving Germany
irrevocable notification that the United
States will break off diplomatic rela-
tons IL its illegal submarine 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 pres
ldent was speaking. 1t was despatched
last night in accordance with the pres
ident's plan to have 1t before the Ger
man government at the same moment
he was addressing the American Con-
gress.
The president asked no action what
ever of Congress. He simply informed
1t OF the accumulation of facts proving
that Germany's assurances to the
United States are being violated; that
the submarine campaign, despite the
earnest protests of the United States,
Is being conducted with renewed vigor
IN contravention Of all the laws of ma
lions and humanity and that he means
to sever relations unless 1t is brought
within the law. Diplomatic history
OF the world shows that such course
Is almost certain to be followed by
war.
The presidents note and his address
to Congress are final. They mark the
end Of diplomatic exchanges. A con-
tinuance Of the long standing friendly
relations, the president made clear,
depends alone upon Germany's con-
duct.
At 1881 o'clock the president left
the White House for the capitol.
Soon after the president arrived at
the capitol and awaited the moment
! 10 go to the hall Of the House. where
senators and representatives were as
sembled.
Tho president entered the hall at
O'Clock and in his address said:
"a situation has arisen In the for.
eign relations of the country Of which
1t is my plain duty to inform you
very frankly. :
1t Will be recalled that in Febru-
airy. 1915. the imperial German gov
crnment announced its intention to
treat the waters surrounding Great
Britain and ireland as embraced
within the seat of war and to destroy
all merchant ships owned by its enc
mics that might be found within any
part OF that portion of the high seas
and that 1t warned all vessels of neu-
tral as well as of belligerent owner.
Ship to keep out Of the waters 1t had
thus prescribed or elsewhere enter
them at their peril. The government
or the United States earnestly pro-
tested. 1t took the position that such
policy could not be pursued without
the practical certainty of gross and
palpable violation of the law of ma.
lions particularly If submarine craft
were to be employed as its instru-
ments, inasmuch as the rules pre-
scribed by that law, rules founded
upon principles Of humanity and es-
tablished for the protection of the
lives Of non-combatants at sea, could
not in the nature OF the cases be OBJ
served 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 expose them to such risks could
lawfully be asserted by any belliger-
ent government. The law Of the ma
tons in these matters upon which
the government of the United States
based its protest, is not of recent orr
gin, or formed upon merely arbitrary
principles set UP by convention. It
is based, on the contrary, upon mani
fest and imperative principles of hui
manity and has long been established
with the approval and by the ex-
pressed assent of all civilized nations.
Notwithstanding the earnest pro-
test of our government. the imperial
German government at once proceed
ed to carry out the policy 1t had 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-
lions which it had issued to It's sub
marine commanders and assured the
government of the United States 1t
would take every possible precaution
both to respect the rights Of neutrals
and to safeguard the rights Of nom
combatants.
what has. actually happened has