Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1917-02-09
President Tells Congress of Sew
erance of Diplomatic
Relations.
REciTES KAEER'S PROMISES
Says He Refuses to Believe Subma.
rines Will Commit Overt Acts
Against American Lives
and Ships.

| Washington, Feb. 3.--Presidcnt VIII
son this afternoon addressed joint
session of congress. outlining the
events that led up to the diplomatic
break with Germany. He said:
ITO the congress. February 3. 1917.
Centlemeu of the Congress:
'The Imperial German government
on the 31st of January announced to
this government and to the govern
ments of the other neutral nations
that on and nfter the LIST day of Fehru-
airy, the present month, 1t would adopt
a pJlicy with regard to the use Of
submarines against all shipping seek
| lng 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 18th of April last, in view of
the sinking on the oath of March of
the cross Channel passenger steamer
Sussex by a German submarine. with
out summons or warning. and the con-
sequent loss of the lives of several
citizens of the United States, who
were passengers aboard her, this gov
ernment addressed note to the I'm
perial German government In which it
made the following declarations:
"If 1t still be the purpose of the i'm
perial government to prosecute relent-
less 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
indisputable rules of International law
md the universally recognized die
ates of humanity, the government of
he United States is at last forced to
he conclusion that there Is but one
I curse 1t can pursue. Unless the i'm
| Trial government should now and i'm
| sediately declare and effect an aban-
dament of its present methods of
Submarine warfare against passenger
/ ald freight carrying vessels, the gov
| cement Of the United States can have
| ne eh0ice but to sever diplomatic re-
lntons With the German empire alto
gvaer'
Eeeilis Assurances Given
BY serp'any.
n re9Iy TO this declaration the i'm
peril German government gave this
government the following assurance:
"'rhe German government is pre-
pared TO do its utmost to confine the
operations of the war for the rest of
its Duration to the fighting forces of
the btlgerents. thereby also assuring
the freedom of the seas, principle
upon which the German government
believes now ms before, to be in 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 orders 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 as naval war zone,
declared as naval war zone, shall not
be sunk without warning and without
saving human lives, unless these ships
attempt to escape or offer resistance.
But it added, 'neutrals cannot
expect that Germany. forced to fight
for her existence, shall, for the sake of
neutral interests, restrict the use of an
effective weapon IL her enemy is per-
united to continue to apply at will
methods of warfare violating the rules
of internati onal law. Such demand
would be incompatible with the char
acter OF neutrality, and the German
government Us convinced that the gov
eminent OF dhe United States does not
think of making such a demand,
Knowing that the government of the
United States has repeatedly declared
that II is Fietermined to restore the
principle oil the freedom of the seas,
from Whatever quarter it has been vio-
lated
Refused To pc Bound
BY Any CONDITIONS.
"To.thi the government of the Unit
ed States replied on the eighth of May,
accepting, Of course, the assurance CIV
en-, but adding
1.-THE GOVERNMENT of the United
States feels II; necessary to state that
1t takes it for granted that the i'm
perial Gerrafin government does not
intend 1t to imply that the maintenance
of its newly announced policy is In any
way contingent upon the course OF re-