The Greensboro patriot [February 5, 1917]

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THE GREENSBORO PATRIOT PUBLISHED EVERY MONDAY AND THURSDAY
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jS^ PUSHED 1821 GREENSBORO, N. C, MONDAY. FEBRUARY 5, 1917. VOL. 96—NO. II
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A BREAK HUH GERMANY
(J1 UMAX AMBASSADOR HANDED
" HIS PASSPORT—AMBASRA-IMMi
GKRAKD RECALLED.
, O.
i Washington. Feb. 2. Diplomatic
, .I'io-.i- wit'J Germany have been
iirok>-n >«"■
l'w-:iU-!i' Wilson, in a personal
ijvss lo i joint session of Con-
.r.«,s at,- o'clock this afternoon will
pablicl) announce the American gov-
.-rninenC* answer to Germany's dee-l.
ira-!on "! rntuless submarine war-r
'••
\mbassador Gerard has been In-
. . ,•: ;,> ask t'.-c- German foreign
"• :'ir '.-.is passports. Passports
■ neeii sen; to Count von llern-r:
iiil.::'. that the sentiment of
• entire country is behind iiini and
.-ir.'.l of the united support of
,..:..riA President Wilson "after his
a,Vrences yesjerday with the eabi-
; ami senators came to tlie conclu-
-.i thaj there was only one course
'or the I'nited States to pursue.
Creaking off diplomatic relations
with Germany does not mean war
bit' easily may lead to war. It is a
•■measure short of war."
Tile dancer that war may follow
is accentuated by the diplomatic
.'rs-pry of the world. Modern times
i.iow no instance of a diploma tic-break
between the first eSass powers
that has not been followed by hos-liiities.
When the president returned frun
».:* capitol last night lie apparently
i...I made up his mind that nothing
remained but breaking off relations.
A" once he began preparing the ad-
•':•••.»< which he will deliver to Coll-
N'o announcement of the break
was made at the White Mouse as
i :ai was reserved fir disclosure to
r •; public in the address to Con-
-■-ess. ' Secretary Tumulty would
only say :hat the president would
'ddress Congress this afternoon.
immediately all the machinery of
?>.•■ government was sel in motion to
safeguard 'he national interests and
further prepare the country fir Hie
unprecedented a:iil momentous situ-ation
in which it now finds itself.
Secretary Daniels issued an order
barrng all but officers and men
from navj yards, ships and stations.
Orders to1 safeguard American ports
were issued through'the treasury de-partment
to customs collectors and
''.'•- coast guard service.
Not unmindful of the possibility
oi disturbances by German sympa-rhizers,
officials said steps had been
taken to meet the situation.
Just ai the time when the declara-
'i":i to break became known Secre-
>'»ry Lansing went over to the White
House and had a brief conference
with the president. He too. would
-• no further than Secretary Tura-iiity's
brief announcement that the
president would address a joint ses-sion
of Congress this afternoon.
At the capitol the news of the ac-
:^i came like a thunder clap.
everywhere there were expressions
if suppor: and approbation.
Administration leaders in the sen-ile
who had talked wit;, the presi-i-
nt last niglii were not surprised
"j; were deeply moved by the cli-
"'in von Bernstorff apparently
;'">'!i affected. When the infor-
'■anie to him. his eyes mois-i'*
said to a correspondent
iated Press: "Vm so
ver. I expected it. There
ii'iiKim' else left for the United
" d i | wonder how I am to
-'*'" niilili'V
T"- •
"thassado- seemed to reel
big that the break was im- I
Earlier lie had discussed
'-■■'s (if peace in event the
1,1 Stales severed diplomatic ie-
1 i he believed that even if a
",: should come President Wil-
»"o:iid continue his efforts to
'• peace to the world, possibly
' - i the Swiss government. Af-r
informing Countess von Bern-
' ":l "f tiie news, he returned and
'■^Plained how sorry he was that the
'"'"'K iiad come, and added:
1 am not -surprised. My govern-
-'•-•]■ will not be surprised either.
" people in nerlin knew what was i
'"'ad io happen if they took the
■':"!i ihpy have taken. However, I
1 *»ve simply been here to carry out |
'•e orders of my government. I have '
^•*d no official information either
~om my government or from the
' aited States since I presented the
">'* which brought this about." ' »
Attaches of the embassy were call-ed
to the ambassador's library im-mediately
after and told what had
happened. Many began preparing to
remove their personal effects.
Addresses Congress.
Washington. Fesb. S.—The sever-ance
of diplomatic, relations with
Germany was formally announced to
the country and the world by Presi-dent
Wilson at a joint session of
Congress today at 2 o'clock.
The I'nited States now stands on
:"ie verge of war with all the his-toric
precedents of centuries press-ing
it forward.
Fervently invoking the guidance
of Almighty God in the step he had
taken. President Wilson detailed to
the Congress why the I'nited States
could not continue relations with a
warring nation which repeatedly in-vades
its sacred rights and takes the
lives of its citizens. •
Calm, with a sence of right iu
what may prove the most sombre
moment of American history, the
president stood in the historic hall
of the house of representatives and
with senators . and representatives
before him. spoke the words which
may carry the country into the world
conflict, not for aggression and not
tor power: only for law and human-ity.
Silent and attentive, the grim
company of the nation's lawmakers
listened with apt attention while
President Wilson told of America's
course in the now unsuccessful dip-lomatic
struggle to dissuade Ger-many
from her campaign of ruthless-ness.
President')* Speecli.
The president spoke as follows:
"Gentlemen of the Congress:
"The imperial German govern-ment
on the thirty-first of January
announced "to this government and
to the governments of the other neu-tral
nations thai on and after the
first day of February, the present
month, it would adopt a policy with
regard to the use of submarines
against all shipping seeking to pass
through certain designated areas of
the high seas Io which it is clearly
my duty to call your attention.
"Let me remind the Congress that
on the 8th of April last, in view of
tiie sinking on the 24th of March of
the cross channel passenger steamer
Sussex by a German submarine.
without summons nor warning, and
the consequent loss of lives of sev-eral
citizens of the I'nited States
Who were passengers aboard her this
government addressed a note to the
imperial German government, in
which it made the following declara-tion:
" "If it is still the purpose of the
imperial government to prosecute re-lentless
and indiscriminate warfare
against vessels of commerce by the
use of submarines Without regard to
what the government of the United
States must consider the sacred and
indisputable rules of international
law and the universally recognized
dictates of humanity, the govern-ment
of the United States is at last
forced to the conclusion that there
is but one course it can pursue. Un-less
the imperial government should
now immediately declare and effect
an abandonment of its present meth-ods
of submarine warfare against
passenger and freight carrying ves-sels,
the government of the United
States can have no choice but to
sever diplomatic relations with the
German empire altogether."
"In reply to this declaration the
imperial German government gave
this government the following assur-ance:
" 'Tiie German government is pre-pared
to do its utmost to confine the
operations of war for the rest of its
duration to the fighting forces of the
belligerents, thereby also insuring
the freedom of the seas, a principle
upon which the German government
believes now. as before, to be in
agreement with the government of
the United States.
" 'The German government, gnid-'
ed by this idea, notifies the govern-ment
of the United States that the
German naval forces have received
the following orders: In accordance
with the general principles of visit
and search and destruction of mer-chant
vessels recognized by interna-tional
law. such vessels, both with-in
and without the area declared as
naval war zone, shall not be sunk
without warning and without saving
human lives, unless these 'ships at-tempt
to escape or offer resistance.
" 'But,' it added, 'neutrals can not
expect that Germany, forced to light
for her existence, shall, for the sake
of neutral interests, restrict the use
of an effective weapon if her enemy
is permitted to continue to apply at
will methods of warfare violating
the rules of international law. Such
a demand would be incompatible
with the character of neutrality and,
the German government is convinced
that the government of the United
States does not think of making such
a demand, knowing that the govern-ment
of the United States has re-peatedly
declared tiiat it is deter-mined
to restore tiie principle of the
freedom of the seas, from whatever
quarter it has been violated.
"To this the government of the
United States replied on the 8fii of
May, accepting, of course, the assur-ance
given, but adding:
•' 'The government of the United
States feels it necessary to state that
it takes it for granted that the im-perial
German government does not
intend to imply that the maintenance
of its newly announced policy is in
any way contingent upon the course
or result of diplomatic negotiations
between the government of the
United States and any other belli-gerent
government, notwithstanding
the fact that certain passages in the
imperial government's note of the
4th instant might appear to be sus-ceptible
of that I construction. In or-der,
however, to avoid any misun-derstanding,
thp government of the
United States notifies the imperial
government that it cannot for a mo-ment
entertain, much less discuss, a
suggestion that respect by German
naval authorities for the right of cit-izens
of the United States upon the
high seas should in anyway or in
the slightest degree be made con-tingent
upon the conduct of any
other government affecting the rights
of neutrals and non-combatants. Re-sponsibility
in such matters is single
not joint: absolute, not relative.'
"To this note of the 8th of May
the imperial German government
made no reply.
"On the :llst of January, the
Wednesday of the present week, the
German ambassador handed to the
secretary of state, along with a for-mal
note, a memorandum which con-tained
the following statement:
'• 'The imperial government there-fore
does not doubt that tiie govern-ment
of the United States will un-derstand
the situation thus forced
upon Germany by the entente al-lies'
brutal methods of war and by
their determination to destroy the
central powers, and that the govern-ment
of the United States will furth-er
realize that the now openly dis-closed
intention of the entente allies
gives back to Germany the freedom
of action which she reserved in her
note addressed to the government of
the United States on May 8. 1916.
Under these circumstances she will
meet the illegal measures of her en-emies
by forcibly preventing after
February 1, 1917. in a zone around
Great Britain, France. Italy and in
the Eastern Mediterranean all navi-gation,
that of neutrals included,
from and to England and from and
to France, etc.. etc.
In concluding his address Presi-dent
Wilson declared that he could
not even now- believe that Germany
intends any overt acts against Amer-ican
citizens but that if overt acts
are forthcoming he will again come
before Congress to ask authority to
"use any means that may be neces-sary
for the protection of our sea-men
and our people." All neutral
governments, he believes will take
the same course.
"All ships met within this zone
will be sunk.
"I think that you will agree with
me that, in view of this declaration,
which suddenly and without prior
intimation of any kind, deliberately
withdraws the solemn assurance
given in the imperial government's
note of the 4th of May, 1916, this
government has no alternative con-sistent
with the dignity and honor
of the United States but to take the
course which, in its note of the 18th
of April, 1916, it announced that it
would take in the event that the
German 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.
"I have, therefore, directed the
secretary of state to announce to his
excellency the German ambassador
that all diplomatic relations between
the United States and the German
empire and severed and that the
American ambassador at Berlin will
immediately be withdrawn and, la
accordance with this decision, to
hand to his excellency his passports.
"Notwithstanding this unexpected
action of the German government,
this sudden and deeply deplorable
renunciation of its assurances given
this government at one of the most
critical moments of tension in the
relations of the two governments, 1
refuse to believe that it is the inten-tion
of the German authorities to do
in fact what they have warned us
they will feel at liberty to do. I can-not
bring myself to believe that they
will indeed pay no regard to the sol-emn
friendship between their peo-ple
and our own or to the solemn
obligations which have been . ex-changed
between them and destroy
American ships and take the lives of
American citizens in the wilful pros-ecution
of the prosecution of the
ruthless naval program they have
announced their intention to adopt.
Only actual overt acts on their part
can make me believe it even now.
"If this inveterate confidence . oil
my part in the sobriety and prudent
foresight of their purpose should
unhappily prove unfounded; if
American ships and American lives
should in fact be sacrificed by their
naval commanders in heedless con-travention
of the just and reason-able
understandings of international
law and the obvious dictates of hu-manity
I shall take the liberty of
coming again before the Congress to
ask that authority be given me to use
any means that may be necessary for
the. protection of our seamen and our
people in the prosecution of their
peaceful and legitimate errands on
the high seas, I can do nothing less.
I take it for granted that all neutral
governments will take the same
course.
"We don't desire any hostile con-flict
with the imperial German.gov-ernment.
We are the sincere friends
of the German people and earnestly
desire to remain at peace with the
government which speaks for them.
We shall not believe that they are
hostile to us unless and until we are
obliged to believe It: and we purpose
nothing more than the reasonable
defense of the undoubted 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 principles
of our people which I have sought to
express in my address to the senate
only two weeks ago—seek merely to
vindicate our right to liberty and
justice and an unmolested life. These
are the basis of peace, not war. God
grant that we may not be challenged
to defend them by acts of willed in-justice
on the part of the govern-ment
of Germany."
GKRMAXY WILIi BE TO
KliA.UK IK MAI! COMES.
Washington,1 Feb. 2.—Former
President Taft prefaced a prepared
speech on The League to Enforce
Peace here tonight with a reference
to the new German crisis, declaring
that if the United States were drawn
into war Germany would force it by
."her defiance of plain principles of
justice and humanity which should
obtain between civilized nations."
"The responsibility which now
rests on the president and Congress
is very heavy," said Mr. Taft. "They
should know and do know that the
American people will back them to
the end in their decision. May God
give them good deliverance."
The former president was speak-ing
before the Chamber of Commerce
of tiia United States, answering par-ticularly
criticisms of Theodore
Roosevelt, William J. Bryan, Sena-tor
Borah and others of the League
to Enforce Peace ideas.
STAKING KVEBVTHIXG. \YK
SHALL BE VICTOHIOUS.
Sailing of Vessels Xow MUitary Mat-ter.
Washington, Feb. 3.—Sailings of
American merchant vessels for the
prohibited war zone were stated offi-cially
at the state department today
to have become a military matter.
No interpretation was given to indi-cate
whether this means that the
ships will be armed, convoyed or
held in port. Whether the govern-ment
will arm ships or convoy them
is a subject not finally decided, but
a definite announcement is expected
shortly.
Whether armament or convoy
would be taken by Germany as an
act of war, in itself, is uncertain, but
it is not doubted that an attempt to
resist a German undersea boat would
lead to hostilities.
Berlin. Feb. 1.—Via London, Feb.
-■—Chancellor von Betlimann-lioll-wegg
and other ministers attended
an important meeting of the ways
and means committee of the Reich-stag
today, at which the entire war
situation was gone over and new
steps planned by the central powers
were considered. The chancellor
opened the sitting with a speech of
which the keynote words were:
"We have been challenged to fight
to the end. We accept the chal-lenge:
we stake everything and we
shall ibe victorious.'"
The chancellor explained why in
March and May of last year he had
opposed unrestricted submarine war.
and why again in September, "ac-cording
to the unanimous judgment
of the political and military author-ities,
the question was not consider-ed
ripe for decision."
In this connection the chancellor
repeated his previous utterance that
as soon as he. in agreement with the
supreme army command, reached the
conviction that ruthless submarine
war would bring Germany a victory,
the U-boat war should be started.
"By this development of the situa-tion
the decision concerning subma-rine
warfare has been forced into the
iast acute stage," said the chancel-lor.
The chancellor read the note to
the United States and said corre-sponding
notes had been sent to the
other neutral states. lie concluded
as follows:
"No one among us will close his
eyes to the seriousness of the step
wo are taking. That our existence
Is at stake every one knows since
August 4. 1916. and this has been
brutally emphasized by the rejection
of our peace offer.
"In now deciding to employ our
best and sharpest weapon, we are
guided solely by sober consideration
of all the circumstances that come
into the question, and by the firm
determination to help our people out
of the distress and disgrace which
our enemies contemplate for them.
Success lies in a higher hand, but
as regards all that human strength
can do to enforce success for the
Fatherland, be assured, gentlemen,
that nothing has been neglected.
Everything in this respect will be
done."
MAIiONE INCREASES
DOCK GUARDS KOIU'K.
New York, Feb. S.—Upon the re-ceipt
of special instructions from
Washington. Dudley Field Malone,
collector of the port, conferred late
today with representatives of the de-partment
of justice and New York
police. None of those who attended
the conference would discuss what
was considered beyond saying that
questions relating to a "possible
emergency" were talked over.
Mr. Malone has increased his
force of dock guards and special in-spectors
until he now has more than
1.200 men under his command. Har-bor
police boats and four tugs of the
coast guard cutter service, under
command of the collector, are at the
docks with steam up and their crews
sleeping on board.
It was learned that the command-ers
of several of, the German ships
self-interned here have refused per-mission
to the collector's office to go
below their main decks in trips of
inspection. Mr. Malone declined to
discuss the subject except to say that
the officers were within their rights
unless ho Obtained evidence that
neutrality regulations were being
violated.
NO PROVISION MADK
FOR FORKIGN TRAVELERS.
Washington. F b. 2,—Means of
providing for Americans in Germany
and elsewhere in Europe who may
wish to return home because of
threatened international trouble had
not been furnished up to today. The
state department, however, has con-sidered
in a broad general way what
steps it will take if many Americans
become panicky and want to hasten
home. The chief of these arrange-ments
would be for Americans in
Germany, but as for those in the rest
of Europe it seems likely that there
would be comparatively few need-ing
transportation. The Whole sit-uation
about Americans abroad is
contingent on President Wilson's
course toward Germany. Until that
is decided the state department prob-ably
will take no action.
GERMANS SINK HOUSATONIC
DKPBXm ON CIRCl'MSTANUES
WHETHER INCIDENT CONSTI-TUTES
ACT OK WAR.
London. Feb. :'..- The American
steamer Housatonic has been sunk
by a German submarine. She went
down near the Scilly Islands.
The Housatonic fffca submarined
at noon. All the officers and crow
were saved by a British armed steam-er.
The-rumor is current that the ves-sel
was sunk without warning.
('rentes Siii>atinn.
Washington. Feb. :',. - News of the
sinking of the liousantonic created a
sensation here, bu: state department
official said it would depend upon
the circumstances whether the inci-dent
would affect the present situa-tion.
The ship was carrying contraband,
and if destroyed with proper warn-ing
and provision for the safety of
her crew or in an attempt to escape
the United States merely would have
a claim for damages.
Sailed .January <l.
Galveston, Tex.. Feb. ".—The
steamer liousantonic sailed from
Galveston January 6 for London Via
New-port News. She carried 44.200
bushels of wheat from this port.
At the offices of the agents for the
Housatonic, it was stated that there
were approximately 15 Americans i'i
the crew and 24 of other nationali-ties.
BRYAN MAKKS APPKAI,
TO AUKRICAX PKOPI.K.
Washington, Feb. 3.—William
Jennings Bryan issued a statement
tonight addressed to the American
people, appealing to them to let tin-president
and Congress "know that
the people at home protest against
entering this war on either side with
its frightful expenditure of blood
and treasure: that they are not will-ing
to send American soldiers across
the Atlantic to march under the ban-ner
of a European monarch or die on
European soil in settlement of Euro-pean
quarrels."
The former secretary of state said
the president had appealed to the
nations at war to forgo! their bitter-ness
and come together in an honor-able
peace, adding "are we not in
duty boud to measure up to the stan-dard
for them."
Several alternatives were suggest-ed
by Mr. Bryan, including postpon-ing
until after the war the settlement
of any dispute that cannot be adjust-ed
by peaceful means, warning
Americans off belligerent ships, re-fusing
clearance to American and
other neutral vessels carrying con-traband,
keeping American vessels
out of the danger zone, and the sub-mission
of any declaration of war-to
referendum of the people. ■'
TORPEDO BOAT RAGLEY
VISITS MOREIIEAD CITY,
New Bern. Feb. 2. -The torpedo
boat "Bagley" being used as a mine
layer come into Morehead City har-bor
early this morning unexpectedly
and made hurried arrangements for
filling her bunkers with enough coal
for a long cruise. It was rumored,
although tiie officers, commanding
the ship declined to affirm or deny
the report, that Beaufort ii irbor was
to he mined. Later in tiie day ic
was announced that the torpedo itoat
Warden and the submarine "E-2"
were outside. The Haglcy than was
cast off and departed.
Authoritative information tonight
is to the effect that the ilagley is
convoying the Other two boats to
some unknown point and it is said
that she will return to Beaufort har-bor
later.
The people at Morehead City and
Beaufort are highly excited over the
affair and fear that they are in dan-ger
of being attacked in case of the
beginning of hostilities.
Henry Ford Offers His Plant to the
/ Government.
Detroit, Mich., Feb. 4. -Henry
Ford, the automobile manufacturer
and peace advocate, is said to be in
Washington today conferring with
President Wilson and other officials
of the government. It is reported
here that Mr. Ford goes to offer the
use of the Ford plant here to tho
goverwmsat. -
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