Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1917-02-09
the Imperial German Government


Wednesday of the present week, the
German Ambassador handed to the
Secretary of State along with a.
ormal note memorandum which t
contained the following statement 4 !
The Imperial Government, there
lore, does not doubt that the Gov
eminent of the United States will <
understand the situation thus forced L
upon Germany by the Entente AL
lies brutal methods of war and byl
their determination to destroy the
Central Powers, and that the Gov
eminent 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 4th, 1916.
Under these circumstances Ger
many will meet the illegal measures
of her enemies by forcibly prevent
ing after February l, 1917, in zone
around Great Britain, France, Italy, |
and in the Eastern Mediterranean all |
navigation, that of neutrals included,
from add to England and from and
to France, ETC., etc. All ships met
within the zone will be sunk,
I think that you will agree with
me that, in view of this declaration,
which suddenly and without prior
Elimination of any kind deliberately
withdraws the solemn assurance
given il the Imperial Government S
note of the 4th of May, 1916, this
| Government has no alternative con-
sistent 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 Government did not de.
| clare and effect an abandonment o.
+ the methods of submarine warfare
which it was then employing and to
+ which it now purposes again to re-
sort.
II Il have, therefore, directed the
i, Secretary of State to announce te
e his Excellency the German Ambas.
sador that all diplomatic relation:
Fl between the United States and the
e German Empire are severed anc
: that the American Ambassador al
Berlin will Immediately be with
9 drawn and, in accordance with thi.
p decision, to hand to his Excellency
4 his passports.
s Notwithstanding this unexpected
action of the German Government
a this sudden and deeply deplorabl,
n remuneration of its assurances, giver
this Government at one of the mos
e critical moments of tension in tn,
relations of the two governments,
refuse to believe that it is the in
tention of German authorities to de-
in fact what they have warned II:
they will feel at liberty to do, l can
not bring myself to believe tina
they will, indeed, pay no regard tt
the ancient friendship between theil
, people and our own or to the solemn
, obligations which have been ex-
!, changed between them, and destroy
American ships and take the lives
of American citizens in the willfu
prosecution of the ruthless nava
program they have announced thei,
Intention to adopt. Only actual
overt acts on their part can make
me believe it even now.
/ If this inveterate confidence on
my part in the sobriety and prudent
foresight of their purpose should
unhappily prove unfounded if
| American ships and American lives
lshould in fact be sacrificed by their
naval commanders in needless con-
Itravention of the just and reason
a BILE understandings of internationa,
law and the obvious dictates of hu.
manity, I shall take the liberty of
coming again before the Congress
to ask that authority be given me
to use any means that may be neces-
Isary tor the protection of our sea-
men and our people in the prosecu-
Ition of their peaceful and legitimate
brands on the the high seas, I can
lido nothing less. I take it for grant
led that all neutral governments will
take the same course.
I'VE do not desire any hostile
conflict with the Imperial German
Government. We are the sincere
friends of the German people, and
earnestly desire to remain at peace
with the Government which speaks
for them. We shall not believe that
they are hostile to us unless and I'M
til we are obliged to believe it, and
we purpose nothing more than the