Why We are at War | Page 6

relative.
To this note of the 8th of May the Imperial German Government made
no reply.
On the 31st of January, the Wednesday of the present week, the
German Ambassador handed to the Secretary of State, along with a
formal note, a memorandum which contains the following statement:
GERMANY'S NEW POLICY
The Imperial Government, therefore, does not doubt that the
Government of the United States will understand the situation thus
forced upon Germany by the Entente Allies' brutal methods of war and
by their determination to destroy the Central Powers, and that the
Government of the United States will further realize that the now
openly disclosed intentions of the Entente Allies give back to Germany
the freedom of action which she reserved in her note addressed to the
Government of the United States on May 4, 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 France, etc. All ships
met within the 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
consistent 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.
ALL RELATIONS BROKEN OFF
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 are severed, and that
the American ambassador at Berlin will immediately be withdrawn,
and, in 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, I refuse to believe that it is the
intention of the German authorities to do in fact what they have warned
us they will feel at liberty to do. I cannot bring myself to believe that
they will indeed pay no regard to the ancient friendship between their
people and our own or to the solemn obligations which have been
exchanged between them and destroy American ships and take the lives
of American citizens in the wilful 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.
WILL PROTECT AMERICAN RIGHTS
If this inveterate confidence on 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 contravention of the just and
reasonable understandings of international law and the obvious dictates
of humanity, 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.
I do not desire any hostile conflict with the Imperial German
Government. 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 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 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 bases
of peace, not war. God grant we may not be challenged to defend them
by acts of wilful injustice on the part of the Government of Germany.

III
REQUEST FOR A GRANT OF POWER
Message to the Congress February 26, 1917

Gentlemen of the Congress:
I have again asked the privilege of addressing you