The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1917-02-09
President Explains
The Break To Congress

washington, Feb 5.--The sever
ance of diplomatic relations with
Germany was formally announced
to the country and the world by
President Wilson at joint session
of Congress Saturday at . o'clock.
The President spoke as follows:
The Presidents Speech.
Gentlemen of the Congress: The
Imperial German government. on the
31st OF January, announced to this
government and to the governments
of the other neutral nations that on
and after the first day of February,
the present month, it would adopt a
policy with regard to the use of sub
marines against all shipping seeking
to pass through certain designated
areas of the high seas. to which II is
clearly my duty to call your atten-
ton.
Let me remind the Congress. on
the Sth OF April last, in view OF the
sinking on the cath of March Of the
cross channel passenger steamer Sus-
sex ny German submarine. with
out summons or warning, and the
consequent loss Of the lives of sever
a. citizens oil the United States, who
were passengers aboard her. this
government addressed a note to the
Imperial German government, in
" mich it made the following declarl-
ton:
The Only Way out.
%" II it is still the purpose of the
Imperial government to prosecute re-
lentless and indiscriminate warfare
against vessels of commerce by the
use of submarines. without regard
to what the government of the Unit
ed States must consider the sacred
and indisputable rules of interna-
tional law and the universally recog-
n;zei dictates of humanity, the gov
Crnment of the United States is At
last forced to the conclusion there is
but one course il can pursue,
Unless the Imperial government
should now Immediately declare and
effect an abandonment OF its present
methods of submarine warfare
against passenger and ireight-carry
ing vessels the government of th"
United States can have no choice but
to sever diplomatic relations with
the German empire altogether.
Berlin's Assurance.
In reply To this declaration the
imperial German government CAV"
this government the following assur-
ance:
The German government is pre-
pared 10 do it, utmost to conEnc Tia"
operations Of war for the rest Of its
duration to the fighting forces Of the
baliigercurs. thereby also insuring
the freedom Of the seas. a principl"
unur which the German government
believes. now. MS before, to toe in
agreement with the government Of
the United States
The German government. guild
I'd 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 merchant vessels re-
coznized by international law, such
vessels. both within and without tn"
area declared naval war zone. shall
not be sunk without warning and
without saving human lives, unless
these ships attempt TO escape or Of
fer resistance.
But il added. 'neutrals cannot
expect that Germany. forced 10 fight
for her existence, shall, for tn" sake
of neutral interests, restrict III" use
of an effective weapon ii her enemy
is permitted to continue to apply at
viii methods of warfare violating
the rules Of international law. such
a demand would he incompatible with
the character Of neutrality, and the
German government OF the United
States does not think of maxim" such
q demand knowing that the Govern