Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1917-02-07
POSSIBILITY OF U. S. GETTING IN War.
Relations Severed and Warning Given Germany
that Killing Of Americans Means War.

wilson has broken OFT diplomatic
relations with Germany ant
warned the Kaiser that ruthles!
sacrifice of American lives ani
rights means wal
Similar action is waiting fcl
Austria when she notifies this
government that she joins in tLe
campaign of unrestricted sub
marine warfare.
The President made formal an
nouncement of his action to the
country and to the world today
at joint session of Congress.
Passports have been handed tc
Count Won BernstorH; Am bas-
sador Gerard with all his staff
and American consuls, have been
ordered out of Germany. All
German consuls in the United
States are expected to withdraw.
That the severance of relations
may be complete. German dip
lOmatic interests in the United
States have been taken over by
Switzerland. Foreign diplor attic
interests which the United States
had iii charge in Germany hava
been turned over to various n. u
trails.
Two years of diplomatic nego-
tiation, marked with frequent
crises. Aud attended With the
loss of more than two hundred
American lives on the sh sea !,
have eliminated with an act
which in all the history of the
world always has led to war
Every agency of the American
government has been set in mo-
tion to protect the country
against acts of Gerl,o" sym
pathizers. These moves IRE of
necessity being kept secret.
With the noIice Of severance
of relations the United States
sent to Berlin demand for the
immediate release of sixty four
Americans taken from ships
captured by German raiders in
the South Atlantic.
At the request of the Pre- j.
dent, Congress, immediately af-
ter hearing his address, began
work on new laws framed by the
Department Of Justice to check
conspiracies and plots against
the United States which cannot
now be reached under existing
statutes.
The question of conveying
American merchant ships
through the submarine blockade
has been taken up, and is being
considered as one of the next
moves by this governm ent.
Neutral governments have
been notified of the actiou of the
United States, and have openly
been invited to follow its actin
il the new submarine campaign
violates their reports.
The breaking IF relations came
with a crash, despite the fact
that it had been discussed and
practically determined upon last
night. The President, returning
from his night conference with
the Senator's, determined that a
break in relations was the only
act ''consistent with the dignity
and the honor of the United Sta
tes." He worked most of the
night preparing his address to
Congress.
At 1890 O'Clock this morning.
it became known that Ambassad.
or Gerard had been ordered home
and that passports had been sent
to Count Won Befn storf. AL
though there was no official con
frmation of the Presidents de-
cision until he fo1 mally announc~
ed it himself to Congress, the
knowledge spread rapidly. count
Won Bernstorff heard it unofficial
1y while talking viii an Associat-
ed Press correspondent. While
apparently deeply moved, he was
not surprised. His first act was
TO ask DR. Paul Ritter, the Swiss
miuister, to come to the Cernan
Embassy and prepare 10 take over
its affairs Then he informed
his wife, an Anerican-born wo
man, of the development aid
likewise told the Embassy staff.
His passports were not delivered
untii 2 o clock in the afternoon.
While the President was address
ing congress, one of Secretary
Lansings confidential ASSISTANTS
called at the Embassy ana de