The Green Forest tribune., 1916-04-28
WILSON SAYS U-bOAT WAR
 MUST CEASE
NOTE SENT TO GERMANY DE. HANDS IMMEDIATE CHANGE
 IN SUBMARINE TACTICS.
PRESIDENT READS HIS
 MESSAGE TO CONGRESS
Executive of United States Is Listened to Without Demonstration as He Speaks for IS Minutes, and Is
 Applauded as He Closes.


 Washington-Pre Wilson told congress, assembled in joint session shortly after 1 o'clock Wednesday aft ernoon, he had given irreyocable noti- fication to Germany that the United States will break off diplomatic rela- tions if her illegal submarine cam paign is continued.
 note, Americas last word, practi- cally an ultimatum and demanding an Immediate reply, presumably was in the Berlin foreign office as the presi- dent was speaking. It was dispatched Tuesday night, in accordance with the presidents plan to have it before the German government at the same mo ment he was addressing the American congress.
 When he concluded with expression of hope that Germany would so act as to avert regretable break with Amer tea the assembly broke into cheers.
 The president spoke as follows:
 "A situation has arisen in the for eign relations of the country or which it is my plain duty to inform you very frankly.
 Tt 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 destroy all merchant ships owned by it's enemies that might be found within any part of that DOT tion of the high seas, and that 1t warned all vessels, of neutral as we'll as of belligerent ownership, to keep T of the waters it had thus pre- .ibed, or else enter them at their '.
 9he government of the United | -es earnestly protested. It took | eposition that such a policy could i r,iass of t oe grosEs; anl lut the praqocalit. II Y l's law =. J pa1gen very bs
 xers. VI ,.ta;a .tlGai 1 teftar some time. Sf''ie flol''- tionIa -., U4 nations, partlcu- larly if submarine craft were to be employed as it's instruments, inasmuch as the rules prescribed by that law, rules founded upon principles of hu- manity and established for the pro lection of the lives of noncombatants at sea, could not in the nature of the case be observed by such vessels.
 Bases Protest on Natural Rights. "It based it's protest on the ground | that persons of neutral natiosality | and vessels of neutral ownership would 1 be exposed to extreme and intolerable risks, and that no right to close any part of the high seas against their use or expose them to such risks could lawfully bs asserted by any belliger ent government. The law of nations in these matters, upon which the govern ment of the United States based its protest. is not of recent origin or founded upon merely arbitrary prin- eiples set up by convention.
 "It is based, on the contrary, upon manifest and imperative principles of humanity, and has long been estab- lished with the approval and by the express assent of all civilized natiors.
 Notwithstanding the earnest pro test of our government, the imperial German government at once proceed ed to carry out the policy it had an nounced.
 "It expressed the hope that the dan gers involved, at any rate the dangers to neutral vessels, would be reduced to a minimum by the instructions which it had issued to it's submarine commanders, and assured the govern ment of the United States that it would take every possible precaution both to respect the rights of neutrals and to safeguard the lives of noncom- batants
 What has actually happened in the year which has since elapsed has shown that those hopes were not i'll. tified, these assurances insusceptible of being fulfilled. In pursuance ot the policy of submarine warfare against the commerce of it's adver saries thus announced and entered upon by the imperial German govern ment in despite of the solemn protes of this government, the commander of German undersea vessels have al tackled merchant ships with greate and greater activity, not only upon tn high seas surrounding Great Britai
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