The Dickson County herald. (Dickson, Tenn.) 1907-1979, 1916-04-28
NOTE SENT TO GERMANY DE.
MANps IMMEDIATE CHANGE
IN SUBMARINE TACTICS.
PRESIDENT READS HIS
MESSAGE TO CONGRESS
Executive Of United States 10 Listened
10 Without Demonstration as Ne
Speaks for IS Minutes. and 10
Applauded a. He Closes.

Washington. --President Wilson tolS
congress, assembled In Joint session
shortly after / o'clock Wednesday aft
ernoon, he had given irreyocable mott
fica,ion to Germany that the Uniiet
States will break off diplomatic rela
tions II her illegal submarine cam
paign Ia continued.
A note. Americas last word, practi
cally an ultimatum and demanding Al
immediate reply. presumably was In
the Berlin foreign office as the presi
dent Was speaking II was dispatched
Tuesday night, In accordance with tbs
presidents plan to have II before the
German government at the same mo
ment he was addressing the American
congress
When he concluded with expression
OF hope that Germany womb 30 act al
10 avert a regretabie break with Amer
lea the assembly broke into cheers.
The president spoke as follows,
rign relations OF the country OF which
1t Is my plain duty TO inform YOU very
frankly
1T will be recalled that IN Febru'
AIRY. 1916, the imperial German govern.
meGt announced It's intention to treat
the waters surrounding Great Britain
and Ireland as embraced within the
seat OF war, and destroy all merchant
ships owned by its enemies that might
be- found within any part OF that por.
tion OF the high seas, and that II
warned all vessels, OF neutral as well
as OF beligerent ownership, TO keep
out OF the waters II had thus pre-
scribcd, or else enter them ut their
peril,
The government Of the United
States earnestly protested II took
the position that such policy could
not be pursued without the practical
certainty ~ gross and palpable viola,
lions Of the law OF nations, particu.
LARRY II submarine craft were to be-
employed AS its instruments, inasmuch
as The rules prescribed by that law,
rules founded upon principles OF hG
mantty and established for the pro.
tccl.on Of the lives OF noncombatan,s
at sea, could not IN the nature OF the
case be- observed by such vessels
Bases Protest on Natural Rights
III based It's protest on the ground
that persons OF neutral nationality
aud vessels " neutral ownership would
be exposed To extreme and tntolerablc
risks. and that no right to close any
part Of the high seas against their use
or expose them 70 such risks could
lawfully be asserted by any beiliger.
ent government The law OF nations In
these matters, upon which the severn.
ment OF the United states based It's
protest, IN not OF recent origin or
founded upon merely arbitrary pr.p,
elplts set up BY convention
1T is based, on the contrary, upon
manifest and Imperative principles OF
humanity, and has long been estah
lished with The approval and by the
express assent of all civilized nations
Notwithstanding the earnest pro
tcsl O., eur government the imperial
German government AZ once proceed
ed go carry cut the policy It had an.
NoHrr.J
II ,Na7ossed the hope that toe dan
gors involved ~ any rate the dangers
~ nea'r.l vessels, would be reduced
'n Fl ml8wam by She instructions
which D, UaI issued 70 ils submarine
commanders and assured the govern.
meat vt the United states that Il
would take every poSs Die precaution
both to respect the rjsits OF pcutrals
and 20 safe yuard the lives al noncom.
haiarts
What has actually happened in the
wear which has sspca e,.pStd has
shown that those hopes we're no; ius.
uttcd these assurances !nsusceptiOle
Of being fulfilled In pursuance OF
the policy " Submarine warfare
AGAINST The commerce or us adver
saries thus announced and entered
upon by the imperial German govern,
ment in despite OF the schema protest
OF his government. the commanders
Of German undersea vessels have at.
tackled merchant ships with greater
ard sreater activity, not only upon the
hish seas surrounding Great Britain