Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1917-02-02
Conferences at White House.
Over War Situation Have a
Brought No Determine.
tion of the Ameri-
can Course. Z
PRESIDENT TAKES COUNSEL
House, Lansing and Hitchcock
See Mr.. Wilson, but Give !.
Out No Word as 4
to Action. y
NO CABINET MEETING YET
Possibilities Of Break With
Germany Holds All Attention
at Washington. N
DEVELOPMENTS OF DAY
II
NO CABINET MEETING YET
DEVELOPMENTS OF DAY

Washington, Feb. l.--While all of
fetal information was withheld late
this afternoon, there were Indications
in official quarters that communities
tion actually had been sent or was
about to be sent to Germany.
There was no official indication OF,
its nature, but view persistently heidi
was that it was in the nature OF y
warning against unrestricted sub-.
marine warfare and placed a sever
ance OF diplomatic relations in order
as the next step if Germany persists
in breaking its pledges to the United
States.
When Secretary Lansing received
the newspaper correspondents this
afternoon he said:
Gentlemen, ! have nothing to telLE
you; neither will answer any guest
tons"
He added that this statement stood
good for the remainder OF the day.
and that there was no prospect oil
his making any announcement toAI
night.
Mr.. Lansing did say, however. that
he had had no communication durinfl
the day with the German ambassador
Count Won Bernstorf.
Washington, Feb. l.--Just befortI
noon Secretary Lansing, after work
ing alone in his Office all morning
went to the White House for confer.
cnce with President Wilson.
Secretary Lansing would not dis
cuss the situation and refused to anil
swer question as to whether any
action had been taken. Il
..fter Lconferring with Presiden a
Wilson for an hour, Secretary Lans 4
ing refused fatty to make any state
rnert or to indicate what action haq
been decided upon. a
Following the conference betweeri|
President Wilson and Secretary Lans 4
ing the opinion. became generally,
prevalent tnat break in diplomatic
relations with Germany seemed incvH|
table, although it was thought probe
able that an ultimatum or warninls|
to the Berlin government might pre-
cede this action. HI
The view was taken widely in offil|3
cial quarters that the United Stated
could not let the situation stand unsI
challenged. IL
The fact that Secretary LansirfI'
speit the morning working "on somcA
thing for the president" as it waN5
described, led to reports that tho
secretary of state had prepared s.
note to warn Germany that diplomati'
relations would be broken if it per-
sisted in violating its pledges.
When Secretary Lansin went TIL
the White House to conf with the
president he took som. docunient3I II
with him and went to the mansioF
instead of the executive Offices. III
was pointed out that any note to GerAl
many might as readily be notice thai
relations had been severed as warnll|
ing that they would be.
There were indications early toda n
that no announcement Of the course d
the government would be made unit
certain steps had been taken throug
the Navy department and the Treas
ury department for safeguarding
American ports and other interests.
1t was disclosed that President Wit
son and Secretary Lansing had
conference last night, although it wa|
then denied they had conferred at all
Senator Hitchcock, democrat, chaif
l..an Of the senate foreign relation
committee, was at the White HousI
early today, but said he did not did
cuss the Submarine question.
Passports for Count Won Berns
torff, orders for recall OF Ambassado
Gerard, solemn warnings to Berli|
that breach of its pledges means sen
erance of diplomatic relations, d
tense waiting for an overt 1. t whics
, ould sweep asiGe diplomacy an
bring the American governmen. I
the point Of action, are among til
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