South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-03-15
All Facts Concerning Ger
many'S Submarine War
fare to be Presented
at Special Session.
ALGONQUIN SINKING
HELD AN ACT OF WAR
State Department Makes No
Effort to Excuse Action
of the Commander
of the Diver.
IrternationaI News Service:


WASHINGTON. March Is
Pres't Wilson will present all of the
facts covering Germanys submarine
actions TO congress when it CON
venes in special session next month.
This will include the record of ali
assaults upon American rights.
The report Will deal with every
single instance in which German
ruthlessness has endangered and
cost lives OF Americans and loss of
American property. The browning
assault the sinking Of the Algon-
quin hying the American flag. viii
detailed. II also is possible that the
list of outrages will be increased
before April 10. when congress re-
conveues.
Congress will then decide what
additional steps shall be taken. 1t
alone. of course. has the power TO
declare war. The presidents pow
or is limited 20 the maintenance of
armed neutrality. That he now is
doing 1t can safely be stated that
no American merchantmen will en-
ter the barred zone from now on
with the consent OF administration
officials unless armed with powerful
guns and with men at their posts
ready TO protect them The Algon-
quin. officials say, very likely would
not have been sunk had she been
armed.
Was An Act of War"
I'm the opinion of many officials
the sinking of the Algonquin under
the circumstances already reported
was an act of war" However.
until the president defines his posi-
tion when congress meets il is not
expected that any official expression
regarding 10 viii be made The
state department has made il plain
that the facts speak for them
selves" and there is no effort made
10 excuse the action of the German
submarine commander.
capt. Norberg's simple statement
that the Algonquin was completely
stopped when the first shell hit her
the three previous ones having
missed-and that the firing con-
tinued until the vessel was abandon
ed is characterized here as highly
significant" IL shows conclusivelv
that the reports from certain Scan
dinavian countries that Germany
actually had modified her submarine
campaign is untrue. IL also shows.
officials here say. that no American
vessel. whether a freighter or a pas
senger liner. can hope to make "a
British or a French port unless pre-
pared to defend its right TO sail the
open seas
Berlin Makes No Move.
The state department today. with
the preliminary report of Ambas-
~ador Gerard before &C.. and with
fun knowledge OF what was trans
riring in Berlin available through
the Swiss minister. again made il
plain that az no time has il received
any word that Germany contem-
plated any change i'm its submarine
policy
EaDorts that Count Won Bernstorn
was 20 throw his influence ON the
side % "a return To former methods
Of cruiser warfare by submarines is
generally discredited here Officials
say that while the count might de
sire 10 do SO the advocates of ruth
lessness'' are SO firmly entrenched
in German official control that "a
change OF methods seems entirely
impossible.
Tn connection with the break be-
tween China and Germany officials
today pointed ont that the greatest
significance of This action has been
overlooked That Is that japanese
influence still dominates i'm China
am dthat the break conclusiVely sets
10 rest Tor an time the reports. art
fully spread 10y Germany. that Japan
was weakeuinC in her advocacy of
The entente cause
To M Attn