The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1917-02-28
ASSU RANGES NOT
BINDING, SAYS
Won HOLLWEG
German Chancellor Calls Atten-
ton to Certain Reservations
MANNER OF BREAK NOT RELISHFD
Procedure in Recall of Ambassador
Gerard Violated international
Precedents.

Berlin. Feb 28.-Chancellor Won
Bethmann-Hollweg's address to the
German 'Reichstag, postponed from
last week, was delivered yesterday
The chancellor said: while our
soldiers on the front stand in the
drum fire of the trenches and our sub
marines, defying death, hasten
through the seas; while we at home
have no other-absolutely no other
task but to produce cannon, ammuni-
tion and food and to distribute victu-
ais with justice; in the midst of this
struggle for life and for the future of
our empire, intensified to the extreme
there is only one necessity of the day
which dominates all questions of pol
icy, both foreign and domestic-to
fight and gain victory"
The chancellor then turned to the
establishment of the barred zones
around England, France and Italy.
and TO the answers received from
neutrals to the communication made
by the central powers. He said I'VE
by no means underestimate the diff
culties caused TO neutral shipping
and we, therefore, try to alleviate
them as much as possible. For this
purpose we made an attempt to sup
ply raw materials, such as coal and
iron, needed by them, to neutral
states within the boundaries of our
sea forces. But we also know that all
these difficulties, after ALL are caused
only by Englands tyranny of the
seas. ......,
I'VE. will and shall break this en-
slavement of all non-English trade
We meet half way al wishes of neu-
trails that can be complied with, but
in the endeavor to do so we never
can 90 beyond the limits imposed up
on us by the irreyocable decision to
reach the aim of the establishment
of the barred zone. am sure that
later the moment will come when
neutrals themselves will thank us for
our frmness, for the freedom of the
seas which we gain by fighting is of
advantage to them also.
zone step further than taken by
European neutrals has been made-as
is known-by the United States of
America. President Wilson, after re-
ceiying our note of January 81,
brusquely broke off relations with us.
No authentic communication about the
reasons which were given for this
step reached me. The former United
States ambassador here in Berlin
communicated only in spoken words
to the state secretary Of the foreign
Office OF breaking off relations, and
asked for his passports. This form
of breaking off relations between
great nations living in peace is prob
ably without precedent in history.
with equal decisiveness must
protest against the objection that we,
by the manner in which we withdrew
the assurances given in the note of
May 4. offended the honor and dignity
OF the United States From the very
beginning we had openly and express
ly declared that these assurances
would be invalid under certain condi-
tions."
The chancellor then recalled the
last paragraph of the note of May 4,
1916, which he read verbatim, the
last clause being: Should the steps
taken by the government OF the Unit
ed States not attain the object it de-
sires, namely, to have the laws of hui
manity followed by all the belligerent
nations, the German government
would then be facing a new situation
in which it must reserve to itself COM
plete liberty OF decision"