Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1917-02-04
OVERT ACT BY GERMANY WILL MEAN WAR;
 OTHER NEUTRALS INVITED 70 JO|N |, }.
(Continued from page one.)
presidents decision until he formally announced 10 congress the knOWle6GG

! presidents decision until he formally
 announced to congress the knOWlGGGG
 that spread rapidly over the world
 Count v0n Ecrnstorff heard unoffi-
 clally of the break while talkirG with
 all Associated Press correspondent
 Apparently he was rot surprised. His
 first act was to ak Dr, Paul E"ts}.,
 the Swiss minister. to come to inc
 embassy and prepare to take chaToc. i Then he informed his wife an Amcri- 1 can born woman, Of developments, and i likewise told the embassy staff. His passport was not actually delivered
 until 2 o'clock this afternoon. While 1 the president was addressing con
 gross one of Secretary Lansing's con-
 fidential aides called at the embassy
 and delivered the passports and a
 note in reply to the recent German
 declaration
 i President Wilson kept in seclusion during the morning. except for 9, brief
 conference v-ith Secretary Lansing, until he left for tho white house. i In prepara tion for the h;story-nl2k k
 ing address. the senate and house bad ! been assembled in the hall of the | itttiSt 0NuS totlNtf, Ol Sl1c Gbtl54 C+ttS1 court had seats Oil the floor and cabi net members in a reserved space. Am
 bassador Jusserand of France 0c~
 cupied his reserved seat in the dip'0-
 matic gallery which was packed, prin- cipally with neutrals. who came to
 hear words of far-reaching imp1r9-
 ance affecting their own govern ment&.
 1 As usual committee Of congress- men met inc prasiden. and escorted 1 him to the speakers desk. The whole 1 body rose and cheered as che prcai- ] dent, without his usual smile, but
 grim faced and solemn, took his place
 at the desk and began reading the 1 document which is being. heard l around the world Not sound was heard around the floor or gallery but 1 the clear, clam tones of the president as he read slowly and distinctly. The
 entire assembly listened eagerly to words which may portend the sombre moment in American history, if not ! in decd, fo the world.
 l Briefly, President Wilson reviewed how, last April, the United States had warned Germany, after the de- struction of the Sussex, that unless the imperial government rescinded it's orders for war on merchantmen the United States would have no choice but ito severe diplomatic relations. Then he quoted from the German reply, which gave assurance that no ships would be sunk without warn ing and provision for the safety of passengers and crew. He recounted II y,J,i crnment attached to the promise, ill effect the right to recant it's promise if the United States did not secure relaxation of British restraints on commerce. and then quoted from the reply of the United States which re- fused to consider conditional pledge, and gave Germany final warning that it could not entertain any such sug- gestiOn.
 Cheers Greet Announcement The president did not refer to the long list of subma'rine operations which were conducted in violation of the Sussex pledge, but proceeded with reading the new war zone order, ef- fective February 1.
 When he told how the German proc alamaton left nothing for the honor and dignity of the United States but break in relations; that he had or dered passports handed to Count von Bernstorff and the recall of Mf.
 Gerard, the assemblage broke into a.
 cheer. in which Republicans and Dem-
 ocrats alike joined.
 More applause greeted the declara- ton that only overt acts could con- vince him that Germany intended to violate lives and rights of Americans, and there was prolonged cheering and
 applause when he declared that should Germany commit any acts Gin heed- less contravention of the just and req
 sonable understanding of intcrna- tional law and the obvious dictates Of humanity" he would again appear before congress to ask "authority to use any means that may be neces-
 sary for the protection of our seamen
 and our people,
 As he concluded there were cheers of approval from both sides of the chamber, and the president returned to the white house to discuss means of procedure with Secretary Daniels of the navy and Secretary Baker ot l the war department. There were eX- pressions of support and approval of
 the presidents course as the joint ses- ! sion was dismissed. and both houses
 went back to work.
 Soon after Count von Bernstorff's
 passports arrived. United States secret service men threw guard
 about the ambassador and his suite to
 make certain the hospitality of the
 United States would not be violated
 while he remains on American soil. The status of Count Tarnowski. the
 Austrian ambassador, was undecided.
 although he called at the state de-
 partment to arrange for presenting
 his credentials to President Wilson.
 German Sympathizers Under Suryeil- 1 lance.
 1 For months, ever since relations ] have become acute, there have been
 ominous signs of threatened activity | of German symDathiZerS and dislOyal