Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1917-02-08
PRESIDENT WILSON'S ADDRESS
ON BREAKING WITH GERMANY
JOINT SESSION OF HOUSE AND SENATE LISTEN
TO SOLEMN MESSAGE.
unlssd States Nev On vsras Of war-RepvdIausn Of ueeas Pledge
oiaes Matasu 70 Professionalism Sent Homo and Gerard Recalled
only Oven Act q Warer,zed Kaiser Can Preeptate Host'Nties-
End Of Lena. unsuccessful oiNe matte Struggle.

is single. not joint. absolute. not rel
alive"
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 tho
secretary Of state, along with a for
NAL note. a memorandum which con-
tanned the following statement:
1.-The imperial government, there.
fore, does not doubt that the govern
ment of the United States will under
stand the situation thus forced upon
Germany by the entente allies brutal
methods OF war and by their deter.
mination to destroy the central pow.
ers, and that the government OF the
United States will further realize that
the openly disclosed intention Of the
entente allies gives back to Germany
the freedom Of action which she re-
ceived in her note addressed to the
government of the United States on
May 4th, 1916.
Under these circumstances Ger.
many will meet the illegal measures
of her enemies by forcibly prevent.
ing. after February LIST. 1917. in a
zone around Great Britain, France,
Italy. and the. Eastern Mediterranean,
all navigation, that Of neutrals in
cluded, from and to England and from
and to France, etc, etc. All ships
| met within the zone will be sunk"
l think that you will agree with
| me that, in view of this declaration
which suddenly and without prior in
limation of any kind deliberately
; withdraws the solemn assurance
given in the imperial governments
note of the fourth of May. 1916, this
government hes no alternative con.
sistant with the dignity and honor OF
the United States but to take the
course which, in its note Of the 18th
of April, 1916, it announced that It
would take in the event that the Ger.
man government did not declare and
effect an abandonment of the meth
DDS of submarine warfare which it
was then employing and to which it
now purposes again to resort.
| have, therefore, directed the sec.
rotary of state TO announce to his
eXccllency, the German ambassador,
tl.at all diplomatic relations between
The United States and the German
empire are severed and that the
American ambassador at Berlin will
immediately be withdrawn; and, in
accordance with this decision to hand
to his excellency his passports. Not.
withstanding this unexpected action
OF the German government, this sud.
den and deeply d%eplorable renuncia.
ton OF its assurances, given this gov.
eminent at one OF the most critical
moments of tension in the relations
Of the two governments, / refuse to
believe that it Is the intention of the
German authorities to do in fact what
they have warned they will feel al
liberty to do. | cannot bring myself
to believe that they will indeed pay
no regard to the ancient friendship
between their people and our own OF
to the solemn obligations which have
been exchanged between them ant
destroy American ships and take the
lives Of American citizens In the viii
full prosecution OF the ruthless nava
program they have announced theil
intention to adopt. Only actual over
acts on their part can make me be
lieve 1t even now.
} II this i%nveterate confidence on m,
, part in the sobriety and prudent fore
sight of their purpose should unhap
PLY prove unfounded; If American
t ships and American lives should i,
fact be sacrificed by their naval com
i. manders in needless contravention o
t the just and reasonable understand
ings OF international law and the OF
: vious dictates Of humanity, | shal
( take the liberty Of coming again be
t fore the congress to ask that autho,
ity be given me to use any mean
e that may be necessary for the pre
4 lection of our seamen and our peopl
IN the prosecution of their peacefu
and legitimate errands o the hig
d seas. l a do nothing less. l TAX
1t for granted that all neutral go,
crnments will take the same cours,
d We do not desire any hostile COZ
S flict with the imperial German 60,
y eminent. We are the sincere friend
OF the German people and earnestl
n desire to remain at peace with tn
s government which speaks for then
\. W. shall not believe that they az
hostile to us unless and until we ar
obliged to believe 1t; and we propos
It nothing than the Reasonable d
It Tense Of the undoubted rights Of OF
o peoples. We wish to serve no selfis
'. ends. We seek merely to stand tru
IS alike In thought and in action to tn
.. immemorial principles OF our pc.
h pie which I have sought to expires
It In my address to the senate only tw
% weeks ago--seek merely to vindicat
- our right to liberty and Justice an
y an unmolested life. These are tn
le bases Of peace. not war. God graz
y that we may not be challenged to d
fend them by acts OF wilful injustit
70 on the part Of the government
rs Germany.
Putting Il Plainly.