Evening star., 1917-02-28
and the German nation is more united
and no less resolute than ever"
Discusses Barred Zones.

The chancellor then turned to the
| establishment of the barred zones
around England. France and Italy and
| to the answers received from neutrals
to the communication made by the
central powers. He said:
I'VE by no means underestimate the
difficulties caused to neutral shipping,
and we therefore try to alleviate them
as much as possible. For this purpose
, we made an attempt to supply raw ma
terials, such as coal and iron, needed by
them. to neutral states within the
boundaries OF our sea forces. But we
also know that all these difficulties,
after all, are caused only by England's s
tyranny of the seas We viii and shah
break this enslavement of all nom
English trade. We meet half way all
wishes of neutrals that can be COM
piled with. But in the endeavor to do
so we never can go beyond the limits
imposed upon us by the irrevocable
decision to reach the aim of the estab-
lishment of the barred zone.
II am sure that later the moment will
come when neutralS themselves will
thank US for our firmness. for the
freedom of the seas which we gain by
lighting is of advantage to them also.
Way Relations Were Broken.
"one step further than taken by
European neutrals has been made-as
is known-by the United states of
America. President Wilson, after re-
ceiving our note of January 81, brusque-
ly broke Off relations with us. No
authentic communication about the
reasons which were given for his steps
reached me. The former United States
ambassador here in Berlin commune
Il nd. ffN n a
secretary of the foreign office of break
ing off relations, and asked for his
passports. This form of breaking off
relations between great nations living
in peace is probably without precedent
in history.
"All official documents being lacking.
am forced to rely upon doubtful
sources-that is, upon the Reuter- Offices
version of the contents of the message
sent by President Wilson on February
to Congress In this version the
President is reported to have said that
our note of January 81 suddenly and
without previous indication intention
ally withdrew the solemn promises
made in the note of May. 1916. To the
United States government. therefore,
no choice compatible with dignity and
honor was left other than the way
which had been announced in her note
of April 20, 1916, covering the case if
Germany should not want to give up
her submarine method. If these argu-
ments are correctly reported by Reu-
ter, then | must decidedly protest
against them. For more than cen
tury friendly relations between us and
America have been carefully promoted
We honored them--as Bismarck once
put it--as an heirloom from Frederick
the Great. Both countries benefited by
il, both giving and taking.
Old Principles overthrown.
Since the beginning of the war
things have changed on the other side
of the waters. Old principles We're
overthrown. On August 27, 1913, dur
ing the Mexican troubles. President
Wilson, in solemn message to Con-
gress. declared that he intended to fol-
low the best usage of international law
by prohibition of the supplying of
arms to both Mexican parties at war
against each other. One year later, in
1914, these usages apparently were no
longer considered good. Countless ma
terials of war have been supplied by
America to the entente. and while the
right of the American citizen to travel
without hindrance to entente countries
and the right to trade without hindrance
with France and England. even through
the midst of the battlefields. even the
right of such trade as we had to pay
for with German blood-while all these
rights were jeaiously guarded. the same
right of American citizens toward the
central powers did not seem to be as
worthy of protection and as valuable.
They protested against some measures
of England, which were contrary to in
ternational law, but they submitted to
them. Under conditions of this kind,