Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1917-02-03
IN SPEECH TO CONGRESS
Continued from page One.)
Position Of United States

''To this the government Of the Tut
ed States replied ON the eighth of May.
aeeep ing. of course the assurances
given, but adding:
- THE government OF the Unitedl
States feels il necessary 10 state that
il takes it for granted that he i'm
perial German government does not in
tend to imply that the maintenance Of
its newly announced policy in any way
contingent on the course or result of
diplomatic negotiations between the
government of the United States and
any o.her belligerent government not
withstanding the fact that certain pas
sages in the imperial government : note
of the fourth instance. might appear TO
be susceptible TO that construction. In
order, however, to avoid any possible
Misunderstanding, the government of
/ he United States notified the Imperial
I German government thar il cannot for
I moment entertain, much less discuss
suggestion that respect by German
naval authorities for the rights of cit
! izens of the United States upon the
high seas should in any way or in the
slightest degree be made contingent
iupon the conduct Of any other govern
ment affecting the rights of neutals
and non-combatants. Responsibility in
such matters is single, not joint; abso-
mte, not relative.
Further German Reply
"To this note of the eIghth of May
! the Imperial German government made
no reply.
"On the thirty first Of January the
Wednesday of the present week, the
| German ambassador handed to the see
retary of state, along with a formal
note. a memorandum which contains the
following statement:
'' The imperial government, there
fore does not doubt that the govern
fment of the United States will under
stand the situation thus forced upon
4 Germany by the entente allies brutal
methods of war and by their determina'
ton to destroy the central powers,
and that the government of the United
States will further recognize that the
now openly disclosed intentions of the
entente allies gives back to Germany
the freedom of action which she re-
served in her note addressed to the gov
ernment of the United States on May
4th, 19l6.
many will meet the Illegal measures of
her enemies by forcibly preventing az,
ter February /, 1917, in a zone around
Great Britain, France, Italy and IN
lthe eastern Mediterranean, all navlga-
ton. that of ncutrals included, from
and to England and from and to France,
etc etc. All ships met within the zone
will be sunk.
Germany Breaks Forth
sT think that you will agree with
me that, in view of this declaration.
which suddenly and without prior init
nation of any kind, deliberately with
draws the solemn assurance given in the
imperial government S note of the
fourth Of May, 1916, this government
has no alternative consistent with the
dignity and honor of the United States
but to take the course which, i'll its note
OF the eighteenth of April, 1916, it an
Inounced that it would take in the event
that the German government did moi
declare and effect an abandonment OF
'tthe methods of submarine warfare
which it was then employing and to
which it now proposes again TO resort
] Relations are Severed
81 have, therefore, directed the sec
retarv Of state to announce to his eX
cellcncX, the German ambassador, that
all diplomatic relations between the
United States and the German empire
are severed and that the American am
bassador at Berlin will Immediately be
:. withdrawn and, in accordance with tins
decision, to hand to his eXcellency his
! passports.
i Notwithstanding this unexpected ac
ton of the German government, this
sudden and deeply deplorable reunuci'
/, alton of its assurances, given this gov
ernmcnt at one of the most critical mo
ments of tension in the relations of the
two governments, refuse to belleVt
that il is the intention of the German
authorities to do in fact what they have
warned us they will feel at liberty to
lido. | cannot bring myself to believe
that they will indeed pay no regard tc
the ancient friendship between theil
people and our own or to the solemn
obligations which have been exchanged
between them and destroy American
ships and take the lives of American
lcitiZens in the wilful prosecution of the
ruthless naval program they have an
nounccd their intention to adopt. Only
actual overt acts on their part can make
me believe it even now
, War May Still be Averted
"If this iAveteratc confidence OF
my part in the sobriety and prudent
3 foresight of their purpose should un
? happily prove unfounded; if American
ships and American lives should in fact
be sacrificed by their naval command
? ers in needless eontrayentiOn of the
lust and reasonable understandings OF
international law and the obvious die
: tatcs Of humanity, shall take the lib
crty of coming again before the con
: lgress to ask that authority be given mt
) to use any means that may be neces
sary for the protection of our seamer
c and our people in the prosecution oi
c their peaceful and legitimate crrand
c on the high seas. ! can do nothing less
81 take it for granted that all neutra
c governments will take the same course
] War or Peace-We Must be True
0 We do not desire any hostile con
0 fIict with the Imperial German govern
0 Iment. We are the sincere friends of thu
5 German people and earnestly desire T.
G remain at peace with the governmen
5 which speaks for them. We shall no
c believe that they are hostile to us III
q ,l.l