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.

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 II 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
1dent'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
II OF the accumulation 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 yigor
IN contravention Of all the laws of ma
tions and humanity and that he means
10 sever relations unless it Is brought
within the law. Diplomatic history
OF the world shows that such a course
Is almost certain to be followed by
war.
The presidents note and his address
10 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. -'' . '0A
AT l2:31 o'clock the president left
Ihe 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
senator's and representatives were as
sembled. 90
Iho president entered the hall at
O'Clock and in his address said:
A situation has arisen in the for
sign'relations of the country of which
IL Is my plain duty to inform YOU
very frankly.
1t will be recalled that in Febru-
ary. 1915, the imperial German gov
ernment announced its intention IN
treat 1he waters surrounding Graat
Britain and Ireland as embrasod
Wlthin the seat of war and to destroy
ai Imercnant ships owned by its enc
Niles that might be found within any
part OF that portion of the high seas
aho that II warned all vessels of neu-
traI as well as of belilgerent owner
snip TO Keep out Of the waters it had
mus prescribed or elsewhere enter
them ut their peril. The government
OF the United States earnestly pro-
tested. 1t took the position that such
policy could not be pursued without
thep racttcal certainty of gross and
palpaole 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 cs-
tahlished 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
10 expose them to such risks could
lawfully be asserted by any belliger-
ent government. The law Of the ma
tlons 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 concention. It
is based, on the contrary, upon mani
fest and imperative principles of hu-
manity and has long been established
twth the approval and by the ex-
pressed assent of all civilized nations.