Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1917-02-04
Congressman Of Both Houses
and All Parties Cheer as
Chief Executive SoIemnIy
Tells of impending Crisis.
SYMPATHIZERS WITH
FATHERLAND WATCHED
New Laws Are to Be Quickly
Framed and Passed for
Punishment of Those Who
Are DiSIoyaI to America.

tsv MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL .sasse WIRE,
Washington. Feb. 3.-President
Wilson has broken off diplomatic re.
lations with Germany and warned the
kaiser that ruthless sacrifice of Amer.
lean lives and rights means war. ,
Similar action is waiting for AUS
tria when she notifies this govern
ment that she joins in the campaign
OF unrestricted submarine warfare.
rouncement of his action to the coun.
try and to the world today at joint
session OF congress.
Passports Handed to Bernstorff.
Passports have been handed to
Count Won Bernstorff; Ambassador
Gerard. with all his staff, and all
American consuls have been ordered
cut of Germany. All German con-
-snls in the United States are expect-
Cd to withdraw, that the severance OF
relations may be complete. American
diplomatic interests In Berlin have
been turned over to Spain; German
diplomatic interests in the United
States have been taken over by swift
Terland. Foreign diplomatic interests
which the United States had in charge
in Germany have been turned over to
various neutrals.
Has Always Meant War.
Two years of diplomatic negotia-
tons, marked with frequent crises
and attended with the loss of more
than 200 American lives on the high
seas, have eliminated with an act
which in all the history Of all the
world, has always led to war. Every
agency of the American government
has been set in motion to protect the
country against acts of German SYM
pathizers. These moves, of necessity,
are being kept secret.
With the notice OF severance OF dip.
lomatic relations, the United States
sent to Berlin for the immediate res
lease of sixty-four Americans taken
from ships captured by German raid
ers in the south Atlantic.
Laws to Check Conspiracies.
At the request Of the president.
congress Immediately after hearing
his address began work on new laws
framed by the department of justice
to check conspiracies and plots
against the United States which can
not now be reached under existing
statutes.
The question of conveying Ameri-
can merchant ships through the sub
marine blockade has been taken up
and is being considered as one of the
next moves by this government.
Neutral governments have been no.
titled of the action of the United
States and have been invited openly
to follow it's action IL the new sub
marine campaign violates their rights.
President Acts Quickly.
The breaking off Of relations came
with a crash, despite the fact that
It had been discounted and practical
ly determined upon last night. The
president returned from his night
with the senator's. deter
mined that a break in relations was
the only act consistent with the dig
nifty and the honor Of the United
States" He worked most of the night
his address to congress.
AT 1890 o'clock this morning, it
became known that Ambassador Ger
ard had been ordered home and that
passports had been sent to Count Won
Bernstorff. Although there was no
official confirmation of the presi-
dents decision until he formally an
nounced it himself to congress, the
spread rapidly.
Bernstorff Deeply Moved.
Count Won Bernstorff heard it unof-
ficially while talking with an Associat-
ed Press correspondent. While ap-
parently deeply moved, he was not
surprised His first act was to ask
Dr. Paul Ritter, the Swiss minister, to
come to the German embassy and pre-
pare to take over its affairs. Then
he informed his wife, an American
born woman, of the development and
likewise told the embassy staff. His
were not actually delivered
until o'clock in the afternoon. While