The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1918-02-28

ships which with Americans on board,
were sunk The Englishmnn, the Man
chester Guardian, the Eagle Point and
the Berwlndale, all sunk within n COM
paratively short time. The German
Eovcrnh. 4 replied IN April IL, saying
either that II did not have sufficient
information To form nm opinion, or that
It was doubtful IL the sinking was
traceable TO n submarine, or that the
ship attempted 10 escape.
UItimatum From United States.
Within n week this government re-
piled that the Sussex was torpedoed,
that this was not nn Isolated case. that
1t was clear Germany had made indis-
crimlnate destruction II deliberate pol
icy, contrary to assurances given again
and again, that the United States had
been willing to wait till the course of
Germany was susceptible of only one
Interpretation and that that time had
been reached. 1t added UNLESS the
imperial German government should
now Immediately declare and effect an
abandonment Of It's recent methods Of
submarine warfare against passenger
and freight carrying vessels the gov
eminent of the United States can have
no choice but 20 sever diplomatic rclu-
lions with the German empire alto
ccthcr." The next dry the president
addressed the congress to the same
effect.
ON May 4 Germany replied that she
was alive TO the possibility that the
Sussex was t%orpcdocd, admitting in
effect that she was caught In having
made II false statement. Her com
manders, she asserted, had orders to
conduct warfare In accordance with
visit and search except in the case of
enemy trade ships navigating in the
war zone. As To these she gave no as
surance, and claimed that she had
never given any. She regretted that
the United States did not extend the
same sympathy 10 the German civilian
population that II did to the victims OF
submarine warfare. However. she was
willing 20 go the limit in accordance
with the principles Of law German sub
marines will exercise visit and search
before sinking MERCHANT vessels recog-
nized by law II they do not attempt &c
escape or resist"
This wns promise number four.
Violates Solemn Pledges.
On january RI, on the pretext Of
acknowledging receipt of the presl-
dents address TO the senate, Germany
expressed regret that the attitude OF
the allies, their lust for conquest,
mnde pence impossible. This, she pro-
Clnimed, crcntcd a new situation, to
which reference was made In n for
mer note, and called for a decision.
That decision was nothing less than
to violate all her solemn pledges, to
extend the submarine zone TO Great
Britain, France and Italy, and 10 sink
all ships. She vas confident that this
action would lead to a speedy tcrmi-
nation of the war and would be under
stood by the United States. AS n
favor TO this country she would per-
nit IL to SEND one steamer n week each
way 70 a particular port, Falmouth.
She fixed the day for arrival, Sunday,
and the day for departure, "Wednesday.
The ship pust be striped with three
stripes, each n meter wide, white and
red alternating. and n guaranty must
be given that II carry no %contrahand.
The president promptly executed his
warning To Germany, severing diplo.
matte relations with the German en-
pire On February 3. Immediately the
president lnid the matter before con
gress and Informed II Of his action.
American ships, however, remained In
port as they arrived, as did those OF
other neutralS, and Germany was
achieving her ends by menace. On the
same day the I]lOusatonic, an Ameri.
can steamer, was sunk. and on Febru-
ary II the Lyman VI. Law. II was OBJ
vlOus that II further step mast be
taken or this country would be I'm
potent and would be playing into the
hands Of the PruSSian nutOCrats.
Therefore, on February Pc the prcsi-
dent asked congress for authority to
arm merchant vessels, and even then
said that war, If 1t came, could come
only by the act Of Germany.
226 Americans Killed.
In the period from February 20 tc
April ., six American ships were sunk
with loss Of many lives. Ships uf
other ncutruls were destroyed and
Americans We're murdered. In this
whole period. 30 American citizens,
many of them women and children,
were killed. Armed neutrality Oh.
viouSly was ineffective. The country
was experiencing all the disadvantages
Of war without any Of the rights or
effectiveness Of a holllgvrcnt. Only
n alternative was left.
On April = the president appeared
before congress and recommended that
a state Of war be declared against the
German government. The congress,
accepted the recommendation 10y Il vote
Of 373 Ia 20 in III" house of repre-
]sentatlycs ana So 10 g I'm the senate.
II We had not accepted the chal
leng" of IN" war-mud, desperate, die
taturial, cunicmptuouS, hypocritical
| and medieval PruSSian mllilarlsts, We
would have had to admit that we wcr,
p not Il free nation, that We preferred
peace at any price, and were inter
! cSted only In the tlcshpotS. This COun
"