The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1917-02-10

Washington Sees Grave Crisis
in Announcement of Unre-
stricted U-Boat Warfare.
ATTEMPT TO STARVE BRITISH
New Berlin Note Revokes Pledges
Given This country-8oundaries
of Forbidden Area.

Washington, Feb. Germany has
declared unrestricted submarine war
fare.
A starvation blockade of England,
the like of which the world never has
seen, was announced to the world to-
day in notes delivered to the Ameri
can ambassador, James w. Gerard, in
Berlin and to the State Department
by Count Won Bernstorff, the German
ambassador.
Thus begins the long-feared cam
paign Of ruthlessness, conceived by
Won Hindenburg, it is said here, on a
magnitude never even contemplated
by Won Tirpitz.
Again the United States faces sew
erance of diplomatic relations with
Germany with all its eventual posi-
bilities. President Wilson's repeated
warnings of "a world afire" and Secre-
tary Lansing's verge OF war; state
ment are being recalled in the capital
tonight with feelings of apprehension
and misgiving.
This Is the Super-crisis.
Germany's action is the super-crisis
Of all those that have stirred the
American government in two and
half years of world war.
Peace and means of preserving
peace have gone glimmering.
President Wilson, incredulous at
first when the unofficial text of Ger
many's warning was brought to him at
once called for the official document,
which had just been presented to Sec
rotary Lansing by the German ambas-
sador. Mr.. Lansing refused absolute
| ly to make a comment. President
| Wilson began at once a careful study
| of the document.
The President went to bed at IL
o'clock tonight, after spending the
evening alone in his study with copy
of the note. This apparently disposed
of expectations that some action might
be taken before morning.
Will He Go Before Congress?
The President saw no callers, but is
understood to have used the telephone
freely As far as could be learned, no
plans have been laid for him to go be-
fore Congress, as he did to announce
the sending of the Sussex note threat
ening to break off diplomatic rela-
/ tions.
The President has the task of decid-
ing what shall be the course OF the
United States. Three immediate steps
! appear among the possibilities: The
United States might solemnly warn
Germany against violation OF its
pledges; it might be decided that the
German warning is sufficient notice OF
an intention to disregard those pledges
and a sufficient warrant for breaking
off of diplomatic relations; it might be
decided to await the results of the
blockade and determine the course of
the United States as the actual oper-
atoms develop.
The Forbidden Area.
The forbidden area for neutral yes
sells under Germany's warning is
bounded by line running from prac-
tically the center of the Netherlands
coast nOrthWards for the blockading
of all Denmark and the entrance to
the Baltic, to the outside point of Nor
way, thence due west skirting the
southern part of the Farce Island =,
then west and then south in a grand
square three hundred to four hundred
miles to sea off the British Isles, to
the junction of Spain and Portugal,
apparently leaving the latter country
open and affording a 20-mile safety
zone along the northern Spanish coast
to the French border.
Practically the whole Mediterranean
is declared dangerous except a narrow
strip almost paralleling the African
Coast to a point directly south of
Greece, from which 20-mile path to
Greek territorial waters is declared
open.