The Daily Alaska empire., 1937-02-22
NEUTRALITY, THEN AND NOW

With neutrality again one of the big issues re Congress this session and one which alre IS divided that body into several factions, all V different idea of how neutrality might be perm tly gained it is interesting to look back just ars ago. It was actual violation of our neutra that time that led to our advent into the war ,rty and Fighter in a recent issue recalls teresting picture of that time:
 Prom February l. 1917, sea traffic will be stopped with every available weapon and with out further notice in the following Blockade zones around Great Britain, France, Italy and in the Eastern Mediterranean"
 These words stirred us up to great ex- citement twenty years ago, or made us break out in cold sweat They began memoran- dunn handed by Count Von Bernstorff Cre- member him. the German Ambassador to Secretary of State Lansing on January 31. When we read them in our newspapers we knew that the United States couldn't stay out of the war much longer.
 After listing the blockade zones where neutral ship could expect to get torpedo in it's ribs without warning, the memorandum went on to say just how American ships could continue to sail
 Sailing of regular American passenger steamers may continue undsturbed after Feb ruary l, 1917 if
 A. lIt pOIO Ol utSblHdVlOll ID rdiHoulil.
 B. Sailing to coming from that port course is taken via the Scilly Islands and point 50 degrees north, 20 degrees west.
 'C. The steamers are marked in the fol- lowing way, which must not be allowed to other vessels in American ports: On ships Y hull and superstructure three vertical stripes one meter wide each to be painted alternately white and red Each mast should show large flag checkered white and red, and the stern the American national flag
 ID. One steamer a week sails in each d rection with arrival at Falmouth on Sunday and departure from Falmouth on Wednes- day.
 "E. United States Government guarantees that no contraband (according to German contraband lisD is carried by those steamers"
 We boiled with indignation when we read that note. Nobody was going to tell us how we had to paint our ships and where or when we could run them. We were ready to fight. President Wilson addressed Congress on Feb ruary 3, describing how he had told Germany the previous April that if the German govern ment persisted in unrestricted submarine war fare, diplomatic relations would be severed, and making the following momentous an- nouncement:
 T have therefore directed the Secretary of State to announce to his Excellency the German Ambassador that all diplomatic re- lations between the United States and the German Empire are severed and that the Am erman Ambassador to Berlin will immediate ly be withdrawn; and in accordance with this decision, to hand his Exceency his passports"
 This wasn't war; President Wilson was careful to explain. Only actual overt acts" he said could make us believe that Ger many was our enemy
 The overt acts weren't long in coming. On February 26, the President told Congress that two American ships had been sunk and asked for authority to institute policy of armed neutrality. Guns and gun crews were placed on American merchant ships
 It was on February 28 that we got our next jolt from Germany On that day the famous Zimmerman note was made public This as maybe you remember, was a secret note from Dr. Alfred Zimmerman, Germany's Secretary of Foreign Affairs, to the German Minister in Mexico, which was captured by the United States Secret Service on the Mexi- can border It read
 "On the first of February We intend to begin submarine warfare unrestricted In spite of this it is our intention to endeavor to keep neutral the United States of America.
 If this attempt is not successful, we pro- pose an alliance on the following basis with Mexico:
 That we shall make war together and together make peace We shall give general financial support and it is understood that Mexico is to reconquer the lost territory in New Mexico. Texas and Arizona. The details are left to you for settlement.
 You are instructed to inform the Presi- dent of Mexico his own initiative, should communicate with Japan suggesting adher- ence at once to this plan; at the same time offer to mediate between Germany and Japan.
 Please call to the attention of the Presi- dent of Mexico that the employment of ruth less submarine warfare now promises to com pei England to make peace in few months"
 The remaining pacifistic and pro-German sentiment in this country melted rapidly in the heat created by the disclosure of this in- teresting communication. The scheme to have Mexico and Japan attack our south western states really made us mad
 February, 1917, saw the beginning of Ger many's great gamble to win the war For a year she had been building submarines feverishly bigger more effective U-boats. and by February l she was ready. She was