Mohave County miner., 1917-02-10
FULL TEXT OF PRESIDENTS
ADDRESS ON GERMAN CRISIS

text OF PRESIDENT WILSON'S recent dQ-
dress to congress announcing sever
ance of relations with Germany fol
lows:
Gentlemen of the Congress: The
imperial German government on the
31st Of January announced to this
government and to the governments of
other neutral nations that on and after
the first day of February, the present
month, it would adopt policy with
regard to the use Of submarines
against all shipping seeking to pass
through certain designated areas of
the high seas, to which it is clearly
my duty to call your attention.
'Let me remind the congress that
on the eighth of April last, in view Of
the sinking on the oath Of March, OF
the cross-channel steamer Sussex by
a German submarine, without sum-
mons or warning and the consequent
loss of the lives Of several citizens Of
the United States who were passen-
gers aboard her, this government sd-
dressed a note to the imperial Ger
man government in which it made the
following declarations:
aft 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 United
States must consider the sacred and
undisputed rules of international law
and the universally recognized die
tates of humanity, the government OF
the United States is at least forced to
the conclusion that there is but one
course it can pursue. Unless the i'm
perial government should now imme-
diately declare and effect an abandon
ment of its present methods of sub
marine warfare against passenger and
freight carrying vessels, the govern
ment of the United States can have
no choice but to sever diplomatic rela-
tons with the German government al
together.
''In reply to the declaration, the i'm
perial German government gave this
government the following assurances
"'The German government is pre-
pared to do its utmost to confine the
operations of war for the rest Of itE
duration to the fighting forces of the
belligerents, thereby also insuring the
freedom of the seas, a principle upor
which the German government be-
heves now, as before, to be an agree
ment with the government of the
United States.
"The German government, guided
by this idea, notifies the government
of the United States that the German
naval forces have received the follow
ing order: In accordance with the
general principles of visit and search
and destruction of merchant vessels
recognized by international law, such
vessels, both within and without the
area declared naval war zone, shall
not be sunk without warning and
without saving human life, unless the
ships attempt to escape or offer re-
sistance.
"'But,' it added, 'neutrals cannot ex-
pect that Germany, forced to fight fol
her existence, shall, for the sake OF
neutral interests, restrict the use Of
an effective weapon, if her enemy is
permitted to continue to apply at will
methods of warfare violating the rules
Of international law. Such a demand
would be incompatible with the char
acter Of neutrality and the German
government is convinced that the gov
eminent of the United States does moi
think Of making such demand, know
ing that the government Of the United
States had repeatedly declared that il
is determined to restore the princi,
pie of the freedom of the sea, from
whatever quarter it has been violated.
''To this the government Of the
United States replied on the eighth Of
May, accepting Of course, the assur-
ance given, but adding:
"'The government of the United
States feels it necessary to state thaf
it takes it for granted that the i'm
perial German government does no
intend to imply that the maintenance
of its newly announced policy is in an!
way contingent upon the course o.
results of diplomatic negotiations be
tween the government of the United
States and any other belligerent gov
eminent, Notwithstanding the fact tina
certain passages in the imperial gov
ernment's note of the fourth, inst.
might appear to be susceptible of tina