The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1917-03-01
AVS blL AMI On
Unit Ed STATES
GeTnnan Chancellor Flags Pres
ident Wilson.
ACTION WITHOUT. PRECEDENT

Won Bethmann-H Informs Reich
stag He is Without Official Informal,
ticn Regarding Americas Reasons
for Breaking Off Diplomatic Re-
Iations. .-~
Berlin, Feb. 28.-Criticism of the
United States not only for breaking
off relations with Germany but also
for the way in which it was done was
voiced by Chancellor Won Bethmann-
Hollweg in his long promised talk to
the reichstag
Attention also was called to Presi-
dent Wilson's alleged change of front
within the past few years. In part
the chancellor said:
zone step farther than any taken
by European neutrals in the subma-
rine warfare declared by the central
powers has been taken by the United
States. President Wilson, after re-
ceiving our note of Jan. 81, brusquely
broke OH relations with us.
mo authentic communication about
the reasons which were given for his
steps reached me. The former United
States ambassador here in Berlin COM
municated only in spoken words to the
state secretary of the foreign Office
word of the breaking off of relations
and asking for his passports.
This form of breaking off relations
between great nations living in peace
is probably without precedent in his
tory.
Refers to Wilson's Message.
GAIL official documents being lack
ing am forced to rely upon doubtful
sources-that is, upon the outer (Reu-
ter's) Offices version of the contents
of the message sent by President Will
son on Feb. 3 to congress.
"In this version the president is re-
ported to have said that our note Of
Jan. 81 suddenly and without previ-
Gus indication Intentionally withdrew
of May, 1916.
"To the United States government,
therefore. no choice compatible with
dignity and honor was left other than
the way which had been announced in
her note of April 20, 1916, covering
the case if Germany should not want
to give up her submarine method.
"If these arguments are correctly
reported by Reuter- then I must de-
cidedly protest against them. For
more than century friendly relations
between us and America have been
carefully promoted.
1--WE honor thenl-as Bismarck once
put it-as an heirloom from Frederick
the Great. Both countries benefited
by it, both giving and taking.
Old Principles Overthrown.
"Since the beginning of the war
things have changed on the other side
of the waters. Old principles were
overthrown.
"On Aug. II, 1913, during the Mexi-
can troubles, President Wilson, in a
solemn message to congress, declared
that he intended to follow the best
usages of international law by pro-
hibition of the supplying of arms to
both Mexican parties at war against
= each other.
Zone year later, in 1914, these
usages apparently were no longer con-
sidered good. Countless materials of
war have been supplied by America to
the entente and while the right of the
American citizen to travel without
hindrance to entente countries and
the right to trade without hindrance
with France and England even
through the midst of the battlefelds
even the right Of such trade as we had
to pay for with German blood-while
all these rights were jealously guard
ed, the same right Of American citi
zens toward the central powers did
not seem to be as worthy of protec
ton and as valuable.'