Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-04-07
WAR CHALLENGE
ACCEPTED BY us.
President Wilson Signs
the Formal Declaration
Against Germany.
TO WORK WITH ALLIES
Series of Conferences in
Washington, Congress
to Get Busy.

WASHINGTON, April g. The
United States today accepted Ger
many's challenge to war and formally
abandoned its place as the greatest
neutral of the world.
President Wilson at 1918 o'clock Of
ficial time) this afternoon signed the
resolution of congress declaring the
existence of state of war and au-
thorizlng and directing the chief
executive to employ all the resources
of the nation to prosecute hostilities
against the German government to a
successful termination.
The act was without ceremony and
only in the presence of members of
the presidents family. Word was
flashed Immediately to all army and
navy stations and to vessels at sea
and orders for further precautionary
steps withheld until the last moment
were dispatched.
Call to the Patriots.
By proclamation the president an
nounccd the state of war, called upon
all citizens to manifest their loyalty
and assured Germans in this country
that they would be unmolested as long
as they behaved themselves. orders
were issued soon afterward for the
arrest of sixty ringleaders in German
plots and intrigues.
The president went over the pre-
paratory measures with the cabinet,
discussing what has been accomplished
and dwelling, 1t is understood, upon
arrangements for cooperation with
the entente allies against the common
enemy. Plans for cooperation are
said to have taken very definite
shape, tho there will be no announce
ment ON the subject for the present. |
The seizure of German ships laid up
in American harbors was the subject
of interested comment
Congress Quits Until Monday.
Both houses of congress have ad- |
Journed over until Monday so that
their committees may be free tomor- |
row for preliminary work on war
legislation.
Word that King George and Presi- |
dent Poincare had dispatched mes |
sages of congratulations to the pres- |
dent was received unofficially. Only |
unofficial information also came con
cerning the action of President Memo
cal of Cuba as recommending a |
declaration of war against Germany |
by Cuba and the growing sentiment
for war in Brazil
Foreign relationships of the United
States today underwent the greatest
change in the country's history,
sweeping away practically all the in
terna .onal questions of the past two
years and substituting entirely new
problems. AS result the state de
.partment is being entirely reorganiZed
and the great mass of routine which
has overwhelmed even the highest
officials is to be redistributed along
new lines.
Much Work Waits.
An enormous amount of work Is
expected in the near future with va
rious commissions, military, economic
and diplomatic going back and forth
between this country and the allies.
The first act by the department
when war became fact was to pre-
pare copies of the war resolution and
proclamation for all the foreign mis-
sions here for immediate transm lssion
to their respective governments.
Gables were sent to American mis-
sions abroad and full mail dispatches
prepared to go forward 1T once,
Instructions prepared several days
ago were sent to the treasury depart
ment to cease transmitting details OF u
the armament and armed guards on
merchantmen entering American har-
bors on the ground that henceforth no
restrictions will be placed on such
vessels |.