New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1917-02-03

has declared unrestricted sub
marine warfare.
A starvation blockade of Eng
land, the like of which the world
has never seen, was announced
today in notes delivered to Amer
! lean Ambassador Gerard in Berlin
and to the State Department here
! by Count Won iBernstortf.
Thus begins the long-feared
campaign of ruthlessness, con
ceived by Won Hindenburg, it is
said here on a magnitude never
even contemplated by Tirpitz.
Again the United States faces
severance of diplomatic relations
with Germany, with all its event
ual possibilities. President Viii
son s repeated warnings Of "a
world afre, : and Secretary
Lansing's "verge of war" state
ment are being recalled in the
capital tonight with feelings Of
apprehension and mis9ivings.
Is supercrisis.
Ger,nany's action is the super
crisis of al those that have stirred
the American government in two
and Il hatf years of world war.
Peace and means of preserving
peace have gone glimmering
President Wilson, incredulous
al FIRST when the unofficial text of
Germany warning was brought
to him. at once called for the Of
fetal document, which had just
been presented to Secretary
Lansing by the German ambassa-
! dor. Mr.. Lansing refused to
make a comment. President Viii
son began at once a careful study
of the document.
The President has the task OF
deciding what shall be the course
Of the United States. Three inn
mediate steps appear among the
possibilities. The United States
might solemnly warn Germany
against a violation Of her pledges !
it might be decided that the Ger
man warning is sufficient notice
of an intention to disregard those |
pledges and a sufficient warrant
for breaking off diplomatic rela-
tions; it might be decided to |
await the results Of the blockade
and determine the course Of the
United States as the actual ope-
erations develop.
British Blockade Effective.
On almost every side Germ
any drastic action is interpreted
as an open confession of the eff
ftctiveness Of the British food
blockade. It is regarded as a
determination to strike back in
kind. German officials in the
United States estimate the food
supply on the British Isles will
last a month.
Admittedly the plan is to carry
starvation to the doors Of Eng
land with swift, staggering
strokes, as a fulfillment Of Germ
any's announced determination to
use every weapon and agency at
her command to end the war
quickly. She counts on the ope-
rations Of an unheard of number
of submarines to deliver blows
to bring England to her knees
within sixty days. One German
official here predicted today the
war would be over in month.
CONVEYED TO the world as her
answer to the refusal to the En-
tente allies to talk peace, Germ
anv's latest warning says:
"From February l, 1917. with
in barred zones around Great Bri-
tain, France Italy and in the
Eastern Mediterranean +
all sea traffic forthwith viii be
It virtually is a renewal and an
extension Of the celebrated sub
marine blockade Of the British
Islands proclaimed on February
4 1915, and which became effec-
tive February 18, 1915. Under
it ships were sunk without warn
ing until GERMANY abandoned
he practice and gave her assur- !
ances in the Sussex case. to abide
by international law. The Lusi-
tania. Falaba and scores of other
ships were sunk under the de /
cree.