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H W AsH1NcToN, D.C., ‘February 6.-V-Although signs of an im-
pending crisis over ‘the German note were not wanting, no-
. , body on Friday believed in the possibility of a rupture of relations
with Germany, and with that peciiliar desire to explain away, on '
rational grounds, ‘what seemed to be facts pointingi’to obvious con- '
''clusions,,which is part of the temperament of the parliamentary
lobbies in times of stirring developments, a remarkable feeling of
; optimism prevailed, and. the possibilitrofwvar seemed extremely
remote. ‘ ., x -t I V v , ‘
President Wilsonhas a way ofekeeping his own counsel. Retired
within his privacy and debating the impending problems with1him-
self,-consulting only with Col. E.-M. House and latterlyfafter
mature reflection, with Secretary Lansing,’ the publiepn Saturday
morningwas little prepared for thepstartling news,that began in
whispers to circulate through ‘the corridors of the ‘Capitol and to
penetrate the offices of Senators and Representatives at little after
ten o’clock: G p . , S y . ‘
‘ “Bernstorff has been given his passports 'andfGerard hasobeen tre-
called from' Berlin!" . ’
' . ,- . it , a: t at
Tiie President was to address the joint Houses of Congress in
7 ‘special session at two o’clock. The long friendship between the
‘ ‘United. States, the second home of the German race; and the coun-
try of Frederick the Great, who had said in reply to. England's
offer of alliance, “If England would give me all themillions pos-
sible ,1 would not furnish it two, small files of my troops to fight
. against the colonies,” was suddenly about to'be shattered like a
dream. ‘ p . r .
‘ To many Representatives outside" of New.England and the South,
,of sections where there is the strongest possible amalgamation and
,'blending of the races, and where the traditions of the pioneer period
and the Civil War have kept ‘alive memories of the .patriotism of
‘ the Germans in America and of the financialsupport given the
Union by Germany in its‘ darkest hours, when England “and rance
were equipping warships to prey upon our commerce and seeking
‘ our destruction-when France was already building an incipient
. "monarchy upon our borders in defiance of the Monroe Doctrine and
extending her hand to seize the Gulf of Mexico-the announcement
3 lcame with sickening emphasis.
‘ diplomatic relations would be followed by war, and that the century-
It was felt that a severance of
long amity would soon he succeeded by operations in‘ which
V brothers would shed the blood of brothers and cousins of cousins.‘
‘As from the awakening after a dull blow came the consciousness
, that the great peace movement that promised so‘, much a week be-
fore had come to naught; that the efforts to keep the country out
f of the European maelstrom of blood had been vain; that the result
of the late election with its-‘pronouncementagainst war, had been
nullified over night by the decision of those in power in Berlin and
Washington.’ i‘ ' i 3 V v ‘ G " v,
' Members of the House Foreign Committee were hurriedly called
to‘ their committee rooms; wondering what had happened. There
had been a consultation between the President and prominent mem-
bersof the Senate the night before. ' But the secrethadlgbeen well
A ' guarded,’ and it did not become known till latertliat the debate on
.. the steps to be taken invview of -the German.note-announcing that
the German Government was about to avail itself ‘of the reservation
contained in its note of May 4, 1916, had developed'a decided con-
flict of opinion, but that a, strong majority had favored the Presi-
, dent.’s course to hand the German ‘Ambassador his passports and
recall Ambassador Gerard. This reservation is in the‘ following
wordszt , I " . . . p ‘
i “It (the German Government) does not doubt thatpth;e'Gov-
. ernment of the United States will new demand and insist that
,the British Government shall forthwith observe the rules of in-
'ternational law, universally recognized beforethe war, as laid
down in the notes presented by the government of the United
‘ G ' States to the British Government December 28, 1914, and Nove,m- ,
, her 4, 1915. Should steps taken by the governmentiof the
i United States not attain the object it desires-to have the laws
' of humanity followed by<all belligerent nations-the German ;
Govemment would then be facinga new situation iuwhich it‘
must reserve to itself complete libertyof -decision. I
‘ ,
r ("GT W‘. W o RLD
Bchinazn. Stienes in Capital 5
' . r (Special Correspondence of THE NEW WORLD.
1
The.U-boat campaign, so long heldin abeyance, was about to
t begin, and our Government felt it had no alternative but to act upon
its ultimatum that such a course meant severance of relations.
Yet even then the temper in Congressional circles was singularly
'placid. The feeling of light optimism had,vanished; it was gen-
erally recognized that the situation was serious; but though the
news had circulated for four hours, there was no jam in the corri-
‘dors, and the House galleries filled slowly with the families of mem-
bers and their friends anxious to hear the President utter the mo-
mentous words that were to decide the question of war or peace.
The President spoke in his usual clearness of tone, with great
earnestness, and the crowded hall and the well-filled galleries
listened with‘ intense closeness of attention. Universal applause
greeted ‘the closing of his remarks, and as he passed down the east
side through the lane made for him in the crowd on the lower
floor, to go, to his car, closely guarded by Secret Service agents,
shouts and applause went up at his appearance. V
The great scene was over in little more than ‘half.an hour. The
President was speeding down Pennsylvania‘Avenue on his way to
the White House; the guards in the corridors werewithdrawn, the
usual passage ways thrown open again to the public, and legislative
proceedings resumed their normal course at both ends of the
Capitol. In twenty minutes everything was moving along ‘as though
nothing out of the usual order of things had transpired.‘ The United
States of America had broken with its traditional friend ‘of more
than a century, and only the partisans of Great Britain were
rejoicing. ’ ‘ ’ ‘ . '
The mob spirit had not shown any signs, but in the afternoon and
‘eVe“l11g veiled threats‘ were heard in several German fcafes that
these places would soon be closed, ‘and Saturday afternoon many
Germans applied for their first citizenship papers.
There could be.no doubt that'Washington‘was firmly behind the
President. but there was not even then any enthusiasm for war.
Members showed in their manner that they were stunned. 'They
said the country did not want war, but ‘now that the die had been
cast there was no retreat, and right or wrong, the country’s honor
. must be maintained. “When we get this matter settled,” exclaimed
One. “it will be up to us to settle the question whether wepare a ,
dependency of Great Britain or a self-governing people," but no-
where could be heard an expression of'criticism on President
, VVilson’s action. Even yet-members ventured to express the belief
that actual hostilities could be averted, and that the Chief Executive
“’0“ld. do his utmost to avoid the ultimate step. It" seemed tbd
'3P1f3“5IfEy this thing Of Plunging into themaniacal debauch of blood
which IS drenching the European continent. S ’ G
‘ it a 1- ' it -it , s
The inhuencefor peace which the 21,600,000 white Americans of
German descent might have exercised in conjunction with the great
“my Of P3-cifists of other blood, headed by Hon. VV.'J. Bf)"rm. 1'1?“
not availed against the current of events. A certain percentage be-
lieved in the justice of the Allied causeifrom the beginning and
made its inliuence felt on that side, just as there were men of other
strains who announced their belief in -the justice of the Central
Powers. These divisions'no longer can be emphasized. '
The saddest share of the tragedy falls upon those who haw!
brothers and cousinshin the countries of the Central Powers. There
are a million"such cases. There are thousands .of.Germans, Aus-
m3"? and Hungarians who are not citizens, but who came here
trusting to our hospitality and were caught by the unexpected out-
break 0f ii‘: W31’; unable to return to their homes. Against them 3“
undercurrent of wrath will undoubtedly be directed. ‘V - '
Will the United States, the great mcmng pogo’; nations the “(age
of the oppressed, the home of i ’
“<9 lellers to the violence of hate and persecution?
There is no such feeling in washingmm If it comes to the worst, '
and bbws 3'9 5t"11Ck, Uncle Sam will adhere to hisideals, it is be-"
ii‘?‘.’erdra“d “Of givethe lie to the traditions and doctrines of -130
years. Those responsible for outrages against the defenseless will
i be sum-tn’r1YVilY P1111iShCd, the lot ofsthe‘ unfortunates will be triad?
h . . the free, model its course upon the
mt 1955 P0116)’ Of the Allies toward their interiies and expose them.