Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1917-02-06
GERMAN REPLY
TO AMERICAN
ACTION EXPECTED
Answer May Take the Form
Of Declaration Of War
by Kaiser
BERNSTORFF ONCE SAID
BREAK MEANT WAR
Declaration Might Be Based
On Presidents Effort to.
Align NeutraIs
Ry Robert ]. Render.

Omitted Press staff correspondent
Washington, Feb. 6.-Germany =
answer to President Wilson IS notice of
a diplomatic break is expected within
% hours.
1t may be declaration of war.
Belief is rapidly crystallizing among
officials that this final step is newt
able and would cause no surprise if
Germany took it now This belief was
strengthened by receipt Of Berlin press
dispatches quoting Foreign Minister
Zimmerman as saying: "There is no
step backward" contemplated, follow
ing President Wilson, s action.
Also, it was recalled today that last
spring, when the Sussex sinking threat
ened diplomatic break, Ambassador
Won Bernstorff said such break would
result in an immediate declaration Of
war by Germany.
At the same time President Wilson
told members of the foreign relations
committee that he had been reliably
Informed" actual war would follow a
break.
Won Bernstorff recently reiterated his
former statement.
Possible action of this kind by Ger
many took precedence in the discussion
of officials today, even over the Londoh
admiralty statement reporting the kill
| ing Of an American citizen by the Ger
man submarine gun. According to the
admiralty report, Richard Wallace OF
Baltimore, was killed by U-boat she'll
fire while leaving the British steamer
Eavestone in small boat
The report Immediately made the i'm
ternational situation more acute, pend
ing investigation.
Should Germany make the war de-
cision, some officials believe she viii
base her declaration on President Will
son s active efforts to align all neutral
governments in break.
Some officials, however, in spite of
the German declarations to the con
trary, believe she may modify her u
boat campaign before greater crash
results.
| While awaiting the step which may
mean war, the president is determined
that this government shall make no
move not fully and literally justified by
the laws of nations and humanity; that
nothing shall be done for mere exped-
iency that might merit reproach from
any nation, even Germany.
Meanwhile the government moved
rapidly in .inaugnrating, completing and
perfecting details of war prepara-
tion.
| Every instrumentality at the diree-
tion Of the president, congress, and the
departments was being used toward get
| ting all arms of the nations defense
strengthened and equipped for their
first gigantic service since the Spanish
American war.
i The president this afternoon is to
meet with his cabinet and canvass tho
4 the situation--hat has been done and
what is being planned toward mobiliz-
ling the tremendous resources Of the
country for threatened war;
Congress was ready to authorize the
raising of any sum needed.
The senate is expected today to vote
a resolution of confidence in the presi-
dent and the house will follow. The
upper body would have done it yester-
day except for parliamentary technical
ity. Under the rigid senate rules NE
Stone endorsement resolution is up to-
day.
With machine-like precision, advis-
ory committees in all branches of the
! national defense work are submitting
reports to President Wilson, Secretary
Baker and Secretary Daniels.
The greatest effort is now being
eentered upon the navy
II is probable that work on some of