The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1916-04-27
WILSUN PLACES
GERMAN CRISIS
BEFORE SOLONS
President Tells Congress He Has
Sent UItimatum to Berlin
Government.
PUTS BREAK UP TO KAISER

Gives Notice That Diplomatic ReIa-
tIons VIII BE Severed Unless Pres
ent Methods Of 'Subsea Warfare
Are Abandoned Immediately
Killing Of Noneombatants De-
nouneed as "Wanton."
House OF Representatives, the Cap
itol. Washington, April 2O.-Sharply
indicting Germany for it's use Of sub
marines against merchant vessels,
President Wilson yesterday. before a
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 jammed into
the historic chamber of the house of
represeI- -tatives. 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 its author was
fearful of the outcome. That serious
ness was shared by the audience, the
usual applause given the president 8
utterances being absent.
The message in every sense was an
dltimatum. 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 1t.
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
tions."
The United States has been willing
to wait, the president said. until the
significance Of the fact became abso.
lutely unmistakable and susceptible
OF but one Interpretation" That point
ne said, has now unhappily been
reached"
Text Of Presidents Address.
Following is the complete text ot
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
ary, 1915, the imperial German govern
ment announced it's 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 ol
that portion Of the high seas. and thai
1t warned all vessels, of neutral af
we'll as OF belligerent ownership, tc
keep out of the waters it had thus
prescribed. or else enter them at theiI
peril. The government of the United
States earnestly protested. 1t tool
the position that such a policy could
not be pursued without the practica
certainty of gross and palpable viola
tions of the law of nations. particular
ly If submarine craft were to be EN-
ployed as its instruments, inasmuch al
the rules prescribed by that law, rules
founded upon principles of humanity
and established for the protection o.
the lives of noncombatants at ses
could not in the nature of the case bt
observed by such vessels. It baseC
its protest on the ground that person.
of neutral nationality and vessels O
neutral ownership would be exposeC
to extreme and intolerable risks, anC
that no right to close any part Of thu
high seas against their use or to ex
pose them to such risks could lawfully
be asserted by any Jbelligerent govern
ment. The law Of nations in thesC
matters. upon which the government
Of the United States based it's protes
is not of recent origin or founded upol
merely arbitrary principles set up b.
convention. It is based, on the con
trary, upon manifest and imperativ,
principles Of humanity and has loni
been established with the approva
and by the express assent of all civi
lized nations.
Protest Was Dlsregarded.
Notwithstanding the earnest pro
test of our government, the imperia
German government at once proceeded
to carry out the policy 1t has an
nounced. It expressed the hope tina
the dangers involved. at any rate tn,
dangers to neutral vessels. would b,
reduced to a minimum by the instruC
tions which it had issued to its subma
rine commanders, and assured the gov
ernment of the United States that
would take every possible precaution
both to respect the rights of peutral
and to safeguard the lives of noncom
batants.
What has actually happened in tn
year which has since elapsed ha
shown that those hopes were not just
fed, those assurances insusceptible o
being fulfilled. In pursuance Of tn
i \ .