Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-02-01
Dismissal of Kaiser's AmbaS-
sador May Be Governments
First Move.
SOME LOOK FOR WARNING
BEFORE A FINAL BREAK
Mr.. Wilson Keeping Own Council in
the Gravest Hour Since He Took
Up Burden of Presidency.

lSSiuSiil w iiSOlI, IL Ht Has HOT
already done SO, is expected to de-
lay little in sending passports to
Count J. H. Won Bernstorff, am
bassador of Germany to the
United States. This will be the
FIRST step in the answered. MIR.
Wilson to the stunning notihca-
ton OF Germany that she pro-
posed to close the seas according
to her own methods and her own
Interpretation Of existing interna-
tional laws.
Purpose Absolutely Secret.
! The next steps may not have been
reached even in the mind of the Presi-
dent, but they will in all probability
include such use of the naval power of
the United States as may give protec-
tion to American shipping and Amerf-
can rights at sea. From then on the
chain will be endless.
/ No official would today venture the
slightest opinion that this predicted
action of the President has been or is
soon to be taken. Except President
| Wilson and Secretary Lansing. no other
men in the United States at this min
ute know the exact situation
What the President has done or NAV
| do is pure deduction on the part of the
men who have worked close to him for
i years, and who know his methods and
| his habits. 1t is a deduction from
| careful analysis of the situation. in
which this government is left after the
| lightning like warning of Germany that
i she proposes to resume the very kind
; of warfare she solmenly promised the
/ United States she would not conduct.
! Break Is Deemed Certain,
! And deduction is the basis OF all in
! formation prior to the actual announce
! ment of the information itself.
TO the simple question, What is the
i President to do under all the cireum-
stances? the answer, according to men
| Of MANY stations in life today, is that
| sooner or iat.,. unless Germany is real
NV conducting a huge bluff to force
F, England to lead the way To peace. the
I; president can do nothing but break
/ diplomatic relations.
As against an immediate step of this
! kind there is to be placed the known
noise of the President. his care in
| wanting to act only upon the best in
{; formation, his deliberation and his pa :
! tient desire to keep the United States
| out of the European war As a last
resort he may have asked AmbaSsa dor
I Gerard in Berlin to wire him fully his
view of German intention as gathered
! from the situation there, or he may
have sent Germany word that the
| carving into effect OF her announce
inent meant tHe emu oi 'eidlioHs Win
The President is never unmindful of
humanity's judgment of the action OF
nations as of men. and he might de-
sire 10 place before Germany solemn
warming that she was forcing a posi-
I tion upon the United States that would
make Germany responsible for the con-
SEQUENCES simply that the record might
be clear for the future
Possibility of Ultimatum.
The sending of passports to Won Bern
storff hinged today largely upon the
question whether it would go at once.
without an ultimatum to Germany, or
whether it would follow an ultimatum
which would be contemptuously ig-
nored or sharply and defantly an
swered.
/ THAT President Wilson has had abun-
dant warning that Germany would re-
sort to desperate measures at sea, to
| force peace on her own terms in Europe