The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1917-02-09
PRESIDENT BREAKS
OFF RELATIONS
WITH GERMANY
AMERICAN LIVES AT SEA
MEANS HOSTiLlTIES.
Passports Handed Count Won Bern
storff and Ambassador Gerard Or
dered home-Dignity and Honor
Of Nation Demands Step,
Says President.

WashinEton.-Preside Wilson has
broken off diplomatic relations with
Germany and warned the kaiser that
ruthless sacrifice OF American lives
and rights means war.
Similar action is waiting for Austria
when she notifies this government
that she joins in the campaign OF un-
restricted submarine warfare.
The president made formal an-
nouncement OF his action to the coun-
try and to the world on February 3
at joint session OF congress.
Passports have been handed Count
Won Bernstorff; Ambassador Gerard,
with his staff, and all American con-
suls have been ordered out OF Ger
many All German consuls in the
United States are expected to with
draw that the severance OF relations
may be complete. American diplo-
matte interests in Berlin have been
turned over to Spain; German diplo-
matte interests In the United States
have been taken over by Switzerland.
Foreign diplomatic interests which
the United States had in charge IN
beTIlduy nave fUcou IuI o'OA W
various neutrals.
Two years of diplomatic negotia-
ton, marked with frequent crises and
attended with the loss Of more than
200 American lives on the high seas,
have eliminated with an act which IN
all the history OF all the world has al
ways led to war. Every agency OF
the American government has been
set in motion to protect the country
against acts Of German sympathizers.
These moves are of necessity being
+ Kept secret
: With the notice Of severance Of dip
lomatic relations, the United States
sent to Berlin a demand for the i'm
mediate release of sixty-four Ameri-
cans taken from ships captured by
German raiders in the south Atlantic
AT the request of the president, con
l gress, Immediately after hearing his
J address, began work on new laws
framed by the department Of justice
to check conspiracies and plots against
the United States which cannot be
t reached under existing statutes.
The question OF conveying Amer
lean merchant ships through the sub
marine blockade has been taken u[
Z and is being considered as one of the
4 next moves by this government.
The news of the torpedoing OF the
> American steamer Housatonic, coming
u almost before President Wilson!
:, words in congress had died away, ere
, ated a tremendous sensation, but 1
o does not necessarily constitute suci
S an invasion Of Amerl-ln rights as thu
president said he would meet by ask
ing congress for additional authorit.
to act.
v At 10:30 o'clock Saturday morninl
II became known that Ambassado
; Gerard had besp ordered home AM
that passports had been sent to Coun
Won Bernstorff. Although there wa
no official confirmation Of the pres
r. dents decision until he formally al
lc nounced it himself to congress, tn
L. knowledge spread rapidly.
= Count Won Bernstorff heard it III
IS off cially while talking with pres
,r correspondent. While apparent
+, deeply moved, he was not surprises
His first act was to ask DR.. Paul HI
= ter, the Swiss minister, to come
W the German embassy and prepare
u. take over it's affairs. Then he Il
formed his wife, an American boz
: woman, of the development and lik
{ wise told the embassy staff H
X passports we're not actually delivers
until Q o'clock in the afternoon.
" President Wilson kept himself
seclusion during the morning. exec
for a brief conference with Secretal
Lansing, until he left the Viii
J. House for the capitol shortly befo
o'clock
al AS usual committee of congres
so men met the president and escort'
m to the speakers dais. The who
=" body rose and cheered as the pre-
ry dent, acknowledging their greetil
rr without his usual smile. but gri
faced and solemn, took his place
=" the clerks desk and began readi
:. the document which is being hea
round the world"
Briefly he reviewed how, last Ap1
the United States warned Germa
after the destruction of the Suss
u that unless the imperial governme
.rr declared and effected an abandonme
,,,, # that sort of submarine warfare t
United States would have no choi