The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1917-02-06

man naval authorities for the rights of
citizens of the United States upon the
high seas should in any way or in the
slightest degree be made contingent
upon the conduct Of any other govern.
ment affecting the rights. of neutrals
and non.combatants. Responsibility
in such matters is single, not joint:
absolute, not relative"
To this note of the Sth of May the
imperial German government made no
reply.
On the 31st of January the We'd
nesday of the present week, the Ger
man ambassador handed to the secre-
tary of state, along with a formal note,
a memorandum which contained the
following statement:
"The imperial government, there
fore, does not doubt that the govern.
ment of the United States will under.
stand the situation thus forced upon
Germany by the entente allies brutal
methods of war and by their determin-
alton to destroy the central powers,
and that the government of the United
States will further realize that the
now openly disclosed intention Of the
entente allies gives back to Germany
the freedom of action which she re-
served In her note addressed to the
government of the United States on
May 4, 1916.
"Under these circumstances Ger
many will meet the illegal measures
of her enemies by forcibly preventing
after Feb. ], 1917, in zone around
Great Britain, France, Italy and in
the eastern Mediterranean all naviga-
ton, that of neutrals included, from
and to England and from and to
France, ETC., etc. All ships met With
in the zone will be sunk"
think that you will agree with me
that, in view of this declaration,
which suddenly and without prior in
timation of any kind deliberately
withdraws the solemn assurance CIV
en- in the imperial governments note
of the 4th of May, 1916, this govern
ment has no alternative consistent
with the dignity and honor of the
United States but to take the course
which, in its note of the 18th of April,
1916, It announced that it would take
in the event that the German govern.
ment did not declare and effect an
abandonment of the methods of sub
marine warfare which 1t was then EN-
ploying and to which 1t now purposes
again to resort.
| have, therefore, directed the sec
retary of state to announce to his ex-
diplomatic relations between the
United States and the German EN-
pire are severed, and that the Amer
lean ambassador at Berlin will i'm
mediately be withdrawn; and, I'm ac-
cordance with this decision, to hand
to his excellency mis- passports
Notwithstanding this unexpected
action of the German government,
this sudden and deeply deplorable
remuneration of its assurances given
this government at one OF the most
critical moments of tension in the
relations of the two governments, |
refuse to believe that II is the inten-
tion of the German authorities to do
in fact what they have warned us
they will feel at liberty to do.
I cannot bring myself to believe
that they will, indeed, pay no regard
to the ancient friendship between
their people and our own, or to the
solemn obligations which have been
exchanged between them, and destroy
American ships and take the lives of
American citizens in the willful prose-
cution of the ruthless naval program
they have announced intention to
adopt. Only actual overt acts on
their part can make me believe 1t ev-
en- now.
II this inveterate confidence on my
I
part in the sobriety and prudent fore
sight of their purpose should unhap'
PLY prove unfounded; If American
ships and American lives should, in
fact, be sacrificed by their naval COM
manders in needless contravention of
the just and reasonable understand
ings of international law and the OBJ
vious dictates of humanity. l shall
take the liberty of coming again be-
fore the congress to ask that author
ity be given me to use any means
that may be necessary for the pro-
lection of our seamen and our people
in the prosecution OF their peaceful
and legitimate errands on the high
seas. can do nothing less. take
it for granted that all neutral govern
ments will take the same course.
We do not desire any hostile con
fict with the imperial German govern,
| ANa ,ra Tho gEnnara fria ~