The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1917-02-02
GERMANY WILL IN FUTURE
WAGE SUBMARINE WARFARE
Teatons Plan Starvation Blockade OF
England, the Like OF Which the
World Has Never known.

fare.
A starvation blockade of England,
the like of which the world has never
seen, was announced today in notes
delivered to American Ambassador
Gerard in Berlin and to the State de-
partment here by Count Won Bern
I storff.
Thus begins the long feared cam
paign conceived by Won Hindenburg,
it is said here, on magnitude never
even contemplated by Won Tirpitz.
Again the United States faces sever
ance of diplomatic relations with Ger
many with all its eventual posslblll-
ties. President Wilson's repeated
warnings of "a world afre" and Sec
retary Lansing's verge of war; state
ments- are being recalled in the capl-
tai tonight with feeling of apprehen-
sion and misgiving.
Germanys action brings the su-
preme crisis of all those that have
stirred the American government In
two and a half years of world war.
Talk of peace and means of pre-
serving peace has gone glimmering.
Wilson Fist lncredulOuS.
President Wilson, incredulous at
first when the official text of Ger
many's warning was taken to him, At
once called for the official document,
which had just been presented to Sec
retary Lansing by the German ambas-
sador. Mr. Lansing refused to make
comment. President Wilson began
at once a careful study of the docu-
ment.
The president has the task Of de-
Gliding what shall be the course of the
United States. Three immediate steps
appear among the possibilities.
The United States might salemnly
warn Germany against violation OF
her pledge; it might be decided that
the German warning is sufficient no
tice of an intention to disregard those
pledges and sufficient warrant for
breaking off diplomatic relations; it
might be decided to await the results
of the blockade and determine the
course of the United States as the &C
tual operations develop.
On almost every side Germanys
drastic action is interpreted as an
open confession of the effectiveness
of the British food blockade. 1t is
regarded as determination to strike
back in kind. German officials in
the United States estimate that food
supply of the British Isles will last
a month
would StarYe England.
Admittedly the plan is to carry
starvation to the doors of England
with swift, staggering strikes as a
fulfllment of Germany's announced
determination to use every weapon
and agency at her command to end
the war quickly. She counts on the
operations of an unheard of number
of submarines to deliver / blows to
bring England to her knees within
so days. One German official here
predicted today the war would be
over in a month.
Conveyed to the world as her an
swer to the refusal of the entente
allies to talk peace, Germany's latest
warning says:
From February l, 1917, within
barred zones around Great Britain,
France, Italy and in the eastern Med
iterranean, all sea traffic forthwith
will be opposed
1t virtually issa renewal and an
extension of the celebrated subma
rine blockade OF the British isles
proclaimed on February 4, 1915 and
which became effective February 49,,
1915. Under it ships were sunk with
out warning until Germany aban-
doned the practice and gave her as
surances, in the Sussex case, to abide
by international law. The Lusitania,
Falaba and scores Of other ships
were sunk under the decree.
IAmerican citizens and American
ships are warned from entering the
war zones, although certain precau-
tionary measures are suggested for
distinguished American steamers not
carrying contraband, according to
the German list These conditions in
almost the same form were rejected
when proposed by Germany early in
the negotiations over the Lusitania.
At that time Germany proposed to
guarantee immunity from attack to
certain specified passenger ships SAIL
ing on prescribed courses with dis
tinguishing marks and carrying no
contraband President Wilson reject
ed the proposal promptly on the
ground that the United States was
contendirg only for its rights.
Back to Old Ground.
The new German proclamation
brushes aside the perplexing collater-
al issues which have surrounded the
submarine controversy and has
brought it back to the point where it
was left at the conclusion of the Sus-
sex case.
Today's announcement, teciting the