New Britain Herald Newspaper, February 3, 1917, Page 1

HERALD BEST OF ALL LOCAL NEWSPAPERS NEW BRITAIN HERAL HERALD “ADS” MEA BETTER BUSINES PRICE THREE CENTS. NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 1917.—TEN PAGES. ESTABLISHED 18§ ‘RELATIONS WITH GERMANY BROKEN; DECLARATION OF WAR IS EXPECTEL Von Bernstorff Given Passports and Gerard Recalled From Berlin---Presi ~ dresses Congress---Extra Precautions Being Taken Aboard Warships and In Navy Yards 'DIGNITY AND HONOR OF NATION DEMAND BREAK, WILSON DECLARES TO CONGRESS . 2 » AMFRICA DEMANDS SAILORS’ RELEASE Insist on Seamen Taken €. Prisoner by German . ;Commerce Raiders . Being Given Liberty PUBLIC IS BARRED FROM NAVY YARDS { Extra Precautions Being Taken on Board Warships, Which Are Close- Iy Guarded—Battleship Louisiana ,.' . XKépt Brilliantly Lighted All Night— ) e 1, Orow of Appam Expected to Be - Honge Reyenue Bill Amended in: . dered Ashore. AWashington, a8 Feb. 3.—The United States has formally demanded of Ger- | meny the immediate release ol the Americans who weére taken 'prisonmer on prize ships by the raiders in the South Atlantics In all there were sixty-four Ameri- .cans taken from the steamers Georgic, Mount Temple and Voltaire. Sixty of the prisoners are confined in the pris- on camp at Buelmen in Westfalen. « No one other than officials and em- ployes of naval yard and stations is to be admitted to such goyernment res- ervations. Orders to this effect, Sec- retary Daniels announced today, had been issued and will be effective dm- mediately. Appam Closely Watched. Newport News, Va., Feb. 3.—The coast guard cutter Yamacraw has gone alongside the German prize ship Ap- pam and it is thought the German * prize crew will be taken off immedi- ately. Two torpedo boat destroyers joined the superdreadnought Arkansas off the Virginia capes on emergency duty. ‘Warships' Guards Increased. Noriolk, Feb. 3 —Extra armed guards were placed around the battle- ship Louisiana and torpedo boat de: stroyer Benham at the nayy yard las night. The Louisiana was brilliantly illum- inated and armed men walked her ecks and dock where she is moored. g‘here was simi about the Benham. The Louisiana is undergomg exten- give repairs and is not ready to sail unless her services are urgently need- ed. She is having new guns installed. Washington, Feb. 3.—All passes to the New York navy yard were ordered ilar activity on and DY consre SUNDAY NEWS SERVICE. On account of the great interest in the infernational situation, the Herald will maintain its Associated Press ‘gervice tomorrow (Sunday). If the news warrants such action, extra papers will be published. Otherwise information regarding the latest developments will be provided to patrons by telephone. Bulletins containing the news will be posted at the Herald office. FAVORS WAR ISSUE OF $300,000,000 Senate for Preparedness GERARD’S ORDERS SWEEPING Instructed to Close Every American Comsulate In Germany, Step—U-Boats’ Toll of American Citizens Is Put At 200. ‘Washington, Feb. 3.—Senator Thomas today introduced an amend- ment to the house revenue bill pro- posing an issue of $500,000,000 non- interest bearing treasury notes to put the nation in a state of naval and mil- itary preparedness, The notes would be payable to per- sons from whom the government pur-, chased munitions, can be used to pay taxes and would be redeemable. Ambassador Gerard’s instructions are to close his embassy as well as all the consulates in Gerrnany. All em- basy attaches, consuls, consular agents and their staffs are to be hrought out of Germany., This makes the sever- Unusual t ance of Telations more complete than is usual in such cases. Democratic Leader Kitchin told Re- publican Leader Mann when the house convened today that no action ss was contemplated today in connection with the president’s ad- dre: U-Boats Kill 200 Americans. Two hundred Americans at least, probably more, have gone to their deaths through German and Austrian submarine operations. Most of the Americans lost were 3 recalled by the commandant, Rear Ad- traveling on unarmed merchant ships miral Nathaniel R. Usher at 10 o’clock today. The armed patrol along the water front and at the gates doubled. “¥'BRITISH CRUISER ¥ OFF LONG ISLAND ¥ | ¥ American Steame; York Today Reports Presence of Pocking at New Entente Warship, New York, February 3.-—A British cruiser. identity not learned, lay in the wvicinity of Montauk Point, which is at the eastern cnd of Long Island, at sunset last evening. according to the officers of the American steamer Amazonia, which arrivea here today from Liverpool. The warskip was of the Essex type. The' Amazonia and other incoming Vessels reached here ice-coated due to the severely cold weather at sea. GOVERNOR HOLCOMB SORRY. Hartford, Feb. 3.~—~Governor Mar- cug Holcomb on being informed of the severance of diplomatic relations between the United States and Ge many expressed his regret that co: “Witions were as they were. Further than this he said nothing. under the practices of interna- law and humanity. belicved and, tional was themselves secure, More than 2,000 citizens of other ! nationalities lost their lives in the ! same "attacks which cost the lives of Americans, CO:! TO HAVE AIRMEN Orders Reccived For Formation of Section in This State. Bridgeport, Feb. 3.—Orders have Leen received here from the war de- partment for the immediate forma- tion for an aeronautic section Connecticut naval militia. of zars, of the A fun equipment machine ha acroplanes, guns, etc., by the government as scon as one li- censed pilot has been accepted as an officer. One officer and four men are or- dered to the training station in Pen- Florida, for three months for BOAT TRAIN LOADED. London, Feb. 3,~—A large crowd of homeward bound passengers took the boat train at Euston station this morn- ing. There scemed little apprehension of danger, as today's sailing was ex- empt under the German warning, it I being the last one of such exemption. will be furnished ; Cannot Believe Germany In- tends to Carry Out Its Threat to Wage Indiscrim- inate U-Boat Campaign— Promises to Ask Congress for Permission to Use Any Desirable . Measures if American _Ships Are Sunk. The president spoke before congress today as follows: “Gentlemen of the congress: “The Imperial German government on the thirty-first of January, an- nounced to this government and to i the governments of neutral nations that on and after the first day of Feb- ruary it would adopt a policy with re- gard to the use of submarines against all shipping seeking to pass throush certain designated areas of the high seas, to which it is clearly my duty to call your attention. “Let me remind the congress that on the eighth of April, last, in view of the sinking on the twenty-fourth of March of the cross-channel passenger steamer Sussex by a German sub- marine ‘without summons or warning and the loss of lives of several cit- izens of the United States, who were passengers aboard her, this govern- ment addressed a note to the Imperial German government in which it made the following declarations: 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 law and universally recognized dic- tates of humanity, the government of the United States is at last forced to the conclusion that there is but one course it can pursue. Unless the Im- perial government should now imme- diately declare and effect an abandon- ment of its present methods of sub- marine warfare against passenger and freight carrying vessels, the govern- ment of the United States can have no choice but to sever diplomatic re- lations with the German empire alto- gether." “In reply to this declaration the Imperial government gave the follow- ing assurance: ‘‘The 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 freedown of the seas, a principle upon which German government believes now, as before, to be in agreement with government of the United States.” “The: gopernment guided by this idea, notified the government of the United States that the German naval force have received the following or- a In accordance with the rules of visit and search and de- structicn of merchant vessels recog- nized by international law, such ves- sels, hoth within and without the area declared a naval war zone, shall not be sunk without warning and without saving human lives, unle these ships attempt to escape or of- fer resictancc.’ “But.” it added, ‘neutrals cannot | cxpect that Germany, forced to fight for her existence, shall, for the sake | of neutral interests restrict the use of lan effective weapon if her cnemy is { permitted to continue to apply at will mcthods of warfare violating the rules of international law. ch a demand would be incompatible with the char- acter of neutrality and the imperial German government is convinced that the government of the United States does not think of making such a de- ,mand owing that the government of | the United States has repeatedly de- clared it is determined to restore the principle of the freedom of the seas. from whatever quarter it has been violated by.” “To this the government United States assurances given but ““The povernment Unifed Stotes feels it nec to state t it takes it for granted that the perial government does not intend general of the adding of essary im- to “ ‘If, it is still the purpose of the | international | replied and accepted the | ! faply that the maintenance of its newly announced policy is in any way continget upon the eourse or re- sult of diplomatic negotiation between | the government: of tne United States i and other belligerent governments not- withstanding the, fact that certain pas- sages in the imperial governments note of the fourth instance might appear to Dbe susceptible of that construction.’ “In order to avoid any misunder- standing, the government of the United States notified the i mperial government that ‘it cannot for a mo- ment entertain, much less discuss, a suggestion that respect by German au- thorities for the rights of citizens of the United States upon the high secas should in any way or in the slightest degree be made contingent upon the conduct of any other governments af- fecting the rights of neutrals and non- combatants. Responsibility in such matters ngle, not joint, absolute, not relative. “To this note of the eighth of May the imperial government made no re- sight of their purpose should unhap- pily prove unfounded; if American ships and American lives shouid in fact be sacrificed by their naval com- manders in heedless contrast of the just and reasonable understandings of international law and the obvious dic- tates of humanity, I shal take the lib- erty of coming again before the con- gress to ask that authority be given me to use any means that may be nec- essary for the protection of our sea- men and our people in the prosecution of their peaceful and legitimate er- rands on the high seas, I can do noth- ing less. I take it for granted that all neutral governments will take the same course. “We re the sincere friends of the German people and earnestly desire to remain at peace with the govern- ment which speaks for them. We shall not believe tha tthey are hostile to us unless and until we are obliged to believe it and we purpose nothing mor ethan the reasonable defense of the understated 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 imme- man ambassador handed to the secre- | morial principles of our people which tary of state a long formal note a!I have sought to express in my ad- { memorandum which contained the | dress to the senate only two weeks following statement: ago—seek merely to YVindicate our “‘The Imperial government there- ' right to liberty and justice and an un- fore does not doubt that the govern- molusted life. These arc the bases ment of the United States will under- of peace, not war. God grant that we stand the situation thus forced upon may not be challanged to defend them Germany by the Entente Allies’ by aets of ‘'wilful injustice on the part Liputal methods of war and by their of the government of Germany.”. , determination to destroy the Central | Powers and that the government of MERIDEN FIREARMS PLANT IS CLOSED 2 “On the 31st of January, the Wed- nesday of the present week, the Ger- the United States will further realize that the now openly disclosed inten- tion of the Entente Allies gives back to Germany the freedom of action which she reserved in her note ad- dressed to the government of the United States on May 30, 1916. Under these circumstances Germany will meet the illegal measures of her enemies by forcibly preventing after February 1, 1917, in‘a zone around Great Britain, France, Italy and in the eastern Mediterranean all navigation, that of neutrals included from and to Englar 4 and from and .to France, etc., etc. All ships met within the war zone will be suuk.’ “I think that you will agree with me that, in view of this declaration, which suddenly and without prior in- timation of any Kkind, deliberately | would repudiate the assurance given {in the imperial government's note of i the fourth of May, 1918, this govern- ment has no alternative . consistent with the dignity and honor of the United States but to take the course { which, in its note of the 18th of April, 11916, it announced that it would take in the even that the German govern- | ment did not declare and effect an abandonment of the methods of sub- marine warfare which it was then employing and to which it now pro- poses again to resort. “I have therefore instructed the secretary 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 that the American ambassador at Berlin will immediately be withdrawn and, in ac- cordance with this decision to hand his excellency his passports. i “Notwithstanding this 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 governmerits, I refuse to believe that it is the intention of the German au- thorities to do, in fact, what they have warned us they will feel at libertv to do. I cannot bring myself to believe that they will, indeed. pav no regard to the ancient friendship between their peanle ard our own or to the olemn obliratione which have heen exchang- ~a hotween them and destroy Ameri- can ships and take the lives of Amer can citizens in the willful prosecution of the ruthless naval broeram they have announced their intention to adopt. Only actual overt acts on their n make me helieve it even now. f this inv te confidence on my part in the sobriety and prudent fore- Had Been Working on Riflc Contract for Russia—Inventory, Explanation Given. Meriden, Feb. 3.—The local plant of thc New England Westinghouse company which has been working on a rifle contract for the Russian gov- ernmert suddenly closed this noon until next Thursday. The notice posted stated that the closing was for purpose of taking inventory. The order came from the headquurters in Springfield. Many of the officials of the plant left the city this afternoon. 70 DEFY U-BOATS Adriatic Steams Away While Crew and Passengers Cheer News of Dip- | lomatic Rupture With Germany. New York, Feb. 3.—Amid shouts and cheers, the big British passenger liner Adri- atic steamed from here shortly after noon today, bound fo: Liverpool, un- daunted by the German threat to ««ink all ships passing through the newly prescribed war zone. Her pas- sengers numbered 44, among them one American citizen Willlam G. Uridge of San Francisco. The liner was filled to capacity with general cargo, probably all gf it contraband of war. As the Adriatic backed out of her pier word was received of the sever- ance of relations between the United States and Germany. Crew and passengers joined in cheers. NO ORDERS TO MILITIA. Tmprobablc 1t Will Be Called on for Duty. Hart’ord, Feb. 3.—Connecticut Na- fional Guard units, except possibly the naval militia and the coast ar- fillery corps, arc not likely to be called cut because of the & ance of dipl.matic relations and the resul- tatant possibility of war, according to statements by General Cole, tod: It wus further said that no orders of any Lind had been received by the office or had been issucd. And in- quiries regarding the Connecticut forces would he ma direct to the governor and at the offices of latter it was that no inquiry had been made. DUTCH LINER RECALLED. Amsterdam, via London, Feb, lad says that the Hol- liner Nieutw Amster- , which was on her way to Ame 2 and had been recalled by wirele: rrived off the Hook of Holland morning. WEATHER. 5 Hartford slowly rising temperatures to- night and Sunday. (va | her passengers and crew | | now ambassador here, this § dent Wilson Ac German Ambassador Sad When Informed Wilson’s Decision But Admits No Ot Course Is Open to United States—Ad istration Busy Planning to Offset Esplona ASHINGTON, FEB. 3—Dipl matic relations with Germa have been broken off. g President Wilson,.in a personal 4 dress to a joint session of congress a o’clocx today, publicly announced 4 governmen’s answer to Germany’s claration of ruthless submarine warfa Ambassador Gerard has been instructed to ask German foreign office for his passports. Passports h been sent to Count Von Bernstorff. Confident that the sentiment of the entire country behind him and assured of the united support of congre President Wilsgn after his conference yesterday with cabinet and senators, came to the conclusion that was one course for the United States to pursue. Breaking diplomatic relations brings UnitecfStates to the verge war. Never in the history of the world have two first cl3 powers severed their diplomatic'relations without hdst ties following. President Wilson in taking the momentous steps counted the consequences fully, as have all his adviser: Germany, her officials, openly said, counted the'cos a break with' the United States and was prepared to pay in the hope of shortening the war. ; ' § When the president returned from the = capitol . 14 night he apparently had madeup his mind that nothing § mained but breaking off relations. At once he beg preparing the address which he deiivered today to congr ‘White House Silent. No announcement of the break was made at the White House as that was reserved for disclosure to the public in the address to congress. Secretary Tumulty would only say that the president would address congress this afternoon. + Wilson. Whether the new an dor ever sees the president depend events in the next four hours. & May ILead to War. p Breaking off diplomatic relaf with Germany does not mean wap easily may lead to war. It is an| of protest charactgrizedgin the us of nations as a ‘“measffre short war.” 3 The danger that war may fol is accentuated by the diplomatic tory of the world. Modern i show no instanco of a diplo break between two first class pom that has not been followed by tilities. The rights of Germans infthe ed States and of Americans in many are virtually unaffected by severance of diplomatic relatibns. treaties are terminated or suspend German consuls in the Un States and American consuk in @ many, holding their pla by Vi of treaties, continue to ?form tH usual functions, but they no lom work under supervision of diplogas | offices. % j There is no change in comm®h | relations, already badly crippled | | the war. Individuals and corpef | tlons may continuc their usu: | fairs, providing they do not deal | contraband and theig<obligations as binding as gyer. fI‘here should be no confiscation private property either in the Uni States or Germany although it may taken for use under certain ciren| stances. The machinery of the government has been set in motion to safeguard the national interests and further pre- pare the country for an unprecedent- ed and momentous situation in which it now finds itself. S tary Lansing went over to the W House and had a brief confer- ence. with the president. He would go no further than Secretary Tumul- 1y’s announcement that the president would address a joint session of con- gress, Evedywhere there were expressions of support and approbation. Lodge Pleasantly Surprised. “Administration leaders in the sen- ate who had talked with the presi- dent last night were not surprised but were deeply moved by tho climax. One of the first to hear the news, Senator Lodge, of the foreign rela- tions committee said: ‘‘Can that b true?” he fairly shouted. I did n thing the president would do it. I thought it would be another note. T'm with him.” The senator declared, pounding his desk after a moment's hesitation: “Now we’d better see to it that our marines prevent the dismantling of e any more German ships in our har- VoRm Bernstorff im Predicament. bors.” Count Von Bernstorft anged w| Vice president Marshal, notified to the Swiss minister to take over !arrange for a Joint session of con- German embassy. The details of R transfer will be arranped when “It is sincerely to be hoped that this German ambassador s »00d necessary breal will not drag the Secretary Lansins. United States into the war. There _ COunt Bernstorft said are limits, however, to endurance he- K1OW the manner of hi vond which no self-respecting nation UPrited States or what can go. This country cannot permit NaVe to be taken. “Thix the deffance of all law of civilization ¢XPerience.of the kind.” ho by any nation to pass unchallenged.” » Wil have to inform myseil. No special orders for increasing the 1t 15 thousht doubtiul if somg guard at the stations, arsepals, wire. (.00 Entente ellfes will srant gl less plants, naval magazines or other CCR0uCt fo him. ¥ reservations have been fssued. After Cougs WD, Derigy Secretary Daniels refterated ;’;‘uf“c gttt Sy o g ‘l’:“k; ::itl‘:‘“fi‘c“("l'"‘r‘]'j:_‘gi:“’g“jm‘:‘f ‘\“}“:‘ of the cmbassy Dr. Ritter hurriedis had not heen changed. He met with ?a&gf \L.f,f,l,m;;;nsl:fizfmd;anttaw{o a smile questions as to what order swer questions. R is contemplated. It is indicated, wagk the Swiss minister,” said lLowever, that the bureau chiefs of | vy am only a privato cltizer” the navy department have heen in- Yow we must lool out for sof stracted 1o give oul no further news. | thing like Dewey at Manila,” remss Count Adam Tarnowski, AUStria’s | eq Scnator Shephard of Texas. Was to present The president has done the . oml his credentials to Secretary thing that specting natioh today for examination preliminary ) { the formal presentation to Preside didy leaving that I