The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-02-05
PRESIDENT WILSON INFORMS CONGRESS
 OF DIPLOMATIC BREAK WITH GERMANY

stand the situation thus forced upon Germany by the Entente allies bru- tai methods of war and by their de- termination to destroy the Central powers and that the government of the United States will further realize that the now openly disclosed inten- ton of the Entente allies gives back to Germany the. freedom of action which she reserved in her note ad- dressed to the government of the United States on May 4th, 1916.
 /" Under these circumstances Ger many will meet the illegal measures of her enemies by forctbly preventing after Feb. 1, 1917, in a zone. around Great Britain, France, Italy and in the eastern Mediterranean, all naviga- ton, that of neutrals included, from and to England and from and to France, etc., etc. All ships met with in the zone will be sunk
 "I think that you will agree with me that, in view of this declaration which suddenly and without prior in timation of any kind, deliberately withdraws the solemn assurance given in the imperial governments note of the 4th of May. 1916, this government has no alternative consistent with the dignity and honor of the United States but to take the course which, in it's note of the 18th of April, 1916, 1t announced it would take in the event that the German government did not declare and effect an aban- donment of the methods of submarine warfare which it was then employing and to which it now purposes again to resort.
 sI have, therefore, directed the sec- fetary of state to announce to his ex- cellency, the German ambassador, that all diplomatic relations between the United States and the German em- pire are severed and that the Ameri- can ambassador at Berlin will imme- diately be withdrawn; and, in accord with this decision, to hand to his ex- cellency, his passports.
 Notwithstanding this unexpected action of the German government, this sudden and deeply deplorable renun- citation of it's assurances, given this government at one of the most critical moments of tension in the relations of the two governments. I refuse to be- .lieve that it is. the intention of the German. authorities to do in fact what they have warned us they will feel at liberty to. do. cannot bring myself to believe that they will, indeed, pay no regard to the ancient friendship between their people and our own, or to the solemn obligations which have been exchanged between them, and destroy American ships and take the lives of American citizens in the will full prosecution Aof the ruthless naval program they have announced their intention to adopt. Only actual overt acts on their part can make me be- lieYe it even now.
 If this inveterate confidence on my part in the subriety and prudent foresight of their purpose should un- happily prove unfOunded; if Ameri. can ships and American lives should in fact be sacrificed by their naval commander in needless contravention of the just and reasonable under standings of international law and the obvious dictates of humanity, shall take the liberty of coming again be- fore the congress to ask that author ityl be given me to use any. means that may be necessary for the hrotec- Eion of our seamen and our people in the prosecution of their peaceful and legitimate errands on the high seas. can do nothing less. take it for granted that all neutral govern ments will take the same course.
 We do not desire any hostile con- fiict.l with. the imperial German gov- ernment. We are the sincere friends of the German people and earnestly desire to remain at peace with the government which speaks for them. We shall not believe that they are hostile to us unless and until we are obliged to believe 1t; and we purpose nothing more than the reasonable defense of the undoubted rights of our people. We wish to serve no selfish ends. We seek merely to stand true alike in thought and in ac- ton to the immemorial principles of our people which I have sought to express in my address to the senate only two weeks ago-seek merely to vindicate our right to liberty and justice and an unmolested life. These are the bases of peace, not war. God grant that we may not be challeng- ed to defend them by acts of wilful injustice, on the part of the govern ment of Germany.