Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1917-02-16
WILSON BREAKS
WITH GERMANY
TAKES FATEFUL STEP IN HoPE
THAT U-RoAT ORDER MAY BE
RECONSIDEDED.
GERARD is ORDERED HOME
Passports Have Been Handed Count
Won Bernstorff-Preside SUD-
eests Similar Steps Fe Taken
BY All Neutral Nations.

Washington, Feb. 5-President Wilson
has broken off diplomatic relations with
Germany and warned the kaiser that
ruthless sacrifice of American lives and
right means war.
Similar action is waiting for Austria
when she notifies this government that
she joins in the campaign of unrestricted
submarine warfare.
The president made formal announce
ment Of his action to the country and to
the world Saturday at a joint session Of
congress. Passports have been handed
to Count Won Bernstorff; Ambassador
Gerard with all his staff and all Ameri-
can 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. American diplomatic interests
in Berlin have been turned over to Spain;
German diplomatic interests in the Unit.
ed States have been taken over to
Switzerland. Foreign diplomatic inter.
ests which the United States had in
GUS neutrals. Two years of diplomatic
negotiations marked with frequent crisea
and attended with the loss of more than
200 American lives on the high seas have
eliminated with an act which in all the
history of all the world, has always led
to war. Every agency of the American
government has been set in motion to pro.
tect the country against acts of German
sympathizers. These moves are neces
sary and being kept secret.
With the notice of severance of rela-
tions the United States sent to Berlin a
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 president, con.
gress Immediately after hearing his ad-
dress began work on new laws framed
by the department of justice to check
conspiracies and plots against the United
States which cannot be reached under
existing statutes.
/ The question of conveying American
(
has been taken up and is being consider.
ed as one of the next moves of this gov.
ernment.
The news of the torpedoing of the
American steamer Housatonic, coming al
most before President Wilson IS words in
congress had died away, created ire
mendous sensation, but it does not neces
sarily constitute such an invasion o1
American rights as the president would
meet by asking congress for additiona,
authority to act. Only the establishment
of the exact facts can determine whether
the sinking of the ship was new at
tack on American rights or whether tn.
case comes within the range of othel
American ships carrying contraband, de
stroyed in accordance with internationa
law and presenting case to be settled
under its precepts.
Admittedly, if the Housatonic was sunl
without warning or with loss of Americ
an life it will amount to little less thai
an act of war, and be followed by all tn,
consequences which the president so clear
ly pointed out in his address.
Neutral governments have been mott
fed of the action of the United State
and have openly been invited to follow
its action of the new submarine campaign
violates their rights.
The breaking off of relations cam
with q crash despite the fact that i
had been discounted and practically de
termined upon. The president returne,
from his night conference with the senat
ors determined that break in relation
was the only act consistent with the dig
nifty and honor of the United States.
He worked most of the night preparin
: his address to congress. At 1870 Sat
urday morning it became known that Am
bassador Gerard had been ordered hom
and that passports had been sent t
Count Won Bernstorff. Although ther
was no official confirmation of the pres
dents decision until he formally az
nounced it himself to congress, the know
edge spread rapidly.