Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-02-04
BERNSTORFF TOLD
IN NOTE OF BREAK
Notice to Envoy Followed
Lines of Presidents Speech
to Congress.

The note handed to Count Won Bern
storf with his passports, conveying a
formal notification that the United
States had severed diplomatic relations,
conforms closely in substance to Presi-
dent Wilson's address to Congress.
Signed by Secretary Lansing and adj
dressed to the ambassador, the conlmu-
nication reviews tersely the diplomatic
correspondence between the two gov
ernments since the sinking of the Sus-
sex. using the same quotations that
were embodied ny the President in his
address 1t then announces bluntly
that 'all diplomatic relations between
the United States and the German en-
pire are severed, that AMBASSADOR
Gerard will come home, and that Count
Won Bernstorff's passports have been
made ready.
introduction to Note.
The note begins as follows
''The Secretary of State to the German
Ambassador.
DEPARTMENT OF STATE,
February 3, 1917.
"Excellency:
In acknowledging the note with ac-
compa nying memoranda, which you de-
livered into my hands on the afternoon
of January 81. and which announced
the purpose of your government as to
the future conduct of submarine war
fare. 1 would direct your attention to
the following statements appearing in
the correspondence which has passed
between the government of the United
States and the imperial German gov
eminent in regard to submarine war
fare.
This government on April IS. 1916
in presenting the case of the Sussex,
declared:
IF 1t is still the purpose of the
imperial government to prosecute
relentless and indiscriminate war
fare against vessels of commerce by
the use of submarines without
regard to what the government of
the United States must consider the
sacred and indisputable rules of in
ternational law and the universally
recognized dictates of humanity. the
government of the United States is
at last forced to the conclusion that
there is but one course 1t can pur-
sue. Unless the imperial govern
ment should now Immediately de-
clare and effect an abandonment of
its present methods of submarine
warfare against passenger and
freight carrying vessels. the gov
eminent of the United States can
have no choice but to sever diplo-
matte relations with the German
empire altogether.
Germany's Reply.
'In reply to the note from which the
above declaration is quoted your ex-
cellency's government stated in a note
dated May 4, 1916:
The German government, guided
by this idea, notifies the govern
ment of the United States that the
German naval forces have received
the following orders: In accordance
with the general principles of visit
and search. and destruction of mer-
chant vessels recognized by inter-
national law, such vessels. both
within and without the area de-
clared as naval war zone, shall not
be sunk without warning and with
out saving human lives, unless
these ships attempt to escape or
offer resistance.
But neutrals cannot expect that
Germany, forced to fight for her ex-
istence. shall, for the sake of neu-
trail interests, restrict the use of
an effective weapon if her enemy is @
permitted to continue to apply at
will methods OF warfare violating
the rules of international law. Such
demand would be incompatible
with the character of neutrality,
and the German government is con-
WINGED that the government of the
United States does not think of
making such a demand. knowing
that the government of the United
States has repeatedly declared that
1t is determined to restore the prin-
ciple of the freedom of the seas.
from whatever quarter it has been
violated.