The Tomahawk. [volume] (White Earth, Becker County, Minn.) 1903-192?, 1917-02-15

ON ttlS "lSC OF January, the W ets
| ne5i&y Of Tho present week, the Ger
man. 2mba asador handed to the sec
| rotary OF safe, along with formal
note, II c1nCriucl which contained the
| following atatc:ncnt:
"'TEo Imperial government, there
fore does ret doubt that the govern
| melt Of the United States will under.
stand the situation thus forced upon
Germany by the Allies brutal methods
OF Hs.r, and by their determination to
| destroy the Central powers and that
the government of the United State =
iii further realize that the now open
| l. disclosed intention OF the Entente
Aii;s g.Ves back to Germany the freq
| dom OF action which she reserved ii
hcr note addressed to the government
CT the United States on May 4, 1916
Announces Blockade.
"'Under these circumstances Ger
many will meet the illegal measures
of her enemies by forcibly preventing
| after Feb. 1, 1917, in a zone around
Great Britain, France, Italy and in the
| eastern Mediterranean, all navigation,
| luit VI AGuCACiS lltSluUSu, liollA OAAo ~
England and from and to France, etc.
All ships met within thhe zone will be
sunk
Il think that you will agree with
me that, in view Of this declaration.
which suddenly and without prior in
timation of any kind, deliberately
withdraws the solemn assurance given
in. the imperial governments note Of
May 4, 1916, this government has no
alternative consistent with the dignity
and honor of the United States but to
take the course which, in its note OF
April 10, 1916, it announced that it
would take in the event that the Ger
man government did not declare and
effect an abandonment of the methods
of submarine warfare which it was
then employing and to which it now
purposes again to resort.
Sewers Relations.
81 have, therefore, directed the Sec
rotary of State to announce to his
excellency the German ambassador,
that all diplomatic relations between
the United States and the German
empire are severed, and the American
ambassador at Berlin will immediate.
ly be Withdrawn, and in accordance
with this decision to hand to his ex
cellency his passports.
Notwithstanding this unexpected
action of the German government this
sudden and deeply Geplorable renunci
alton of it's assurances, given this
o+ ~ CT ov.itiool
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 us they will feel at
liberty to do so. I cannot bring my
self to believe that they will indeed
pay no regard to the ancient friend
ship between their people and our own
or to the solemn obligations which have
been exchanged between them and
destroy American ships and take the
lives of American citizens in the will
full prosecution of the ruthless naval
program they have announced their
intention to adopt. Only actual overt
acts on their part can make me be.
lieve it even now.
eff this inveterate confidence on my
part in the sobriety and prudent fore
sight of their purpose should unhap'
PLY prove unfounded; if American
ships and American lives should in
fact be sacrificed by their naval COM
manders in needless contravention OF
the just and reasonable understand
ings of international law and the OBJ
vious dictates of humanity, shall take
the liberty of coming again before
the Congress to ask that authority be
given to use any means that may be
necessary for the protection of our
seamen and our people in the prose
dution of their peaceful and legiti'
mate errands on the high seas. I can
do nothing less. I take it for granted
that al. neutral governments will take
the same course.
1--WE do not desire any hostile con-
f1ict with the imperial German gov.
eminent. We are the sincere friends
of the German people and earnestly
desire to remain at peace with the gov
eminent which speaks for them. We
shall not believe that they are hostile
to us until we are obliged to believe
it, and we purpose nothing more than
the reasonable defense of the un-
doubted rights of our people. We wish
to serve no selfish ends. We seek
merely to stand true alike in thought
and in action to the immemorial prin.
ciples of our people which l have
sought in my address only two weeks
ago-seek merely to vindicate our
right to liberty and justice and an I'M.
molested life. These are the bases
of peace, not war. God grant that we
may not be challenged to defend
them by acts of wilful injustice on the
part of the government of Germany"