Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1917-02-13
RUPTURE COMES
LIKE THUNDERCLAP
Suddenness of Wilson's Break
ing Off Relations Causes
Dismay in Berlin.
NO WISH TO TAKE U. S. ON

Copenhagen, Via London), Feb. 2,
Little hope or expectation prevails
in Berlin that war with the United
States is avoidable or that a modus
yivendi reconciling the policies of the
two governments ca be found.
There now i. a desire on the part
of the authorities and vast bulk of
the people to avoid actual hostility in
any way consistent with the general
lines of the present submarine policy,
but only in such way. Accordingly,
instructions were given, SO The As
ISOLATED Press has been reliably in
formed, to submarine commanders be-
fore they started on their February
mission, to AXE the safe side when
neutral vessels, particularly American,
were in question whenever possible.
Wouldn't Be Punished.
Enemy merchantmen when rec
ognized as such were ordered to be
sunk at sight, but neutral merchant
me-. were to be warned when such
action in thei, judgment was con
sistent with the object of the cam
paign and the safety of their ships.
1t is realized, however, after the
prompt and resolLtc stand taken by
President Wilson that thee orders
could only be palliative and only
defer, not avoid, an ultimate break.
Also that if President Wilson stood
by his ami ouncement that the destruc-
ton of American lives or ships would
be regarded as an act of hostility,
casus belli must come ")oner or
later-probabi, sooner on account of
the numbers of Americans On enemy
ships.
Sink Foe Ships on Sight.
Moreover, th.re WIS the discretion
airy natur. of the instructions to sub
marine c, mmanders who were in
formed that while the careful course
toward neutrals was recommended
and desired, they would no longer be
subjected to punishment for depart
ing from their former proceedur. of
warning, if they found this advisable.
1t is col sidered that the onlj posi-
tility Of the avoidance of hostiities
would result from a m obligation of
its standp, nj by one or the other side
and so far as could be judged from the
positive declaration of Alfred Zim-
hermann, the German minister of for
cign affairs, and other officials before
The Associated Press correspondent
departure from Berlin. there was no
probability that Germany would give
way this time or abandon the ruthless
campaign now started
Possible to Tell Story.
From neutral cable office it now
is possible to tell the story OF the de-
velopment of the present crisis on
which the most rigid censorship has
been applied in Germany.
To the observer in Berlin the ap-
proach of the crisis had been plainly |
and definitely evident since the re-
lection of Germany's peace overtures.
Information as to Germany's definite
decision to start sharpened submar-
inc and even the form it would take,
blockade of specified regions
Though the idea of prohibited zone
was later substituted for that of a
blockade" at the request Of the raval
who anticipated possible
formal objections under the blockade !
regulations) was received by The As
ISOLATED Press almost on the morrow
Of Ambassador Gerard's speech on
>Ierman-American good relations, de-
Iivered at the banquet of the Ameri-
can Association of Commerce and
Trade early i'll January.
Decision Reached,
A week later it was stated that a
full decision on the situation had not
been reached and that the campaign
woul d not be launched until after
further consultations with Germany's
allies and the receipt Of certain infor-
nation from Count Bernstorf and
Count Tarnowski Won Tarnow. re-
spectively German and Austro-H Hun
garian ambassadors to the United
States, of their concept OF armed mcr-
chantmen and their liability to attack
as warships.
The final decision on an out-and.
put submarine campaign of so-called
type apparently was taken at
the grand AustEp- German conference
at German headquarters on the Ger
man emperor's birthday. though The
Associated Press heard the statement
that submarines departing several
days earlier for stations on the sub
marine hunting grounds were provid-