COUNT BERNSTORFF DISMISSED

North Otago Times, Volume CIV, Issue 13796, 5 February 1917, Page 5

COUNT BERNSTORFF DISMISSED

A DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS SEVERED • ', ■. .. .' ' '■' / ■ : < l ■ »P<U» bi- \ \ ■;■:■"■:■■■ • - . •• \ AMERICA RESENTS GERMAN NOTE r. i?— .1 V\ ■' :••■■■■■'■'•, TREMENDOUS ENTHUSIASM PREVAILS lIUNS' SUPER-FRIGIITFULNESS BEGINS r■■ 11 ' : ENTENTE POWERS CALMLY CONFIDENT tr-J ■-■! , GERMAN FLEET READY ANOTHER NORTH SEA BATTLE LIKELY TBE POPE APPEALS 10 CENTRAL POWERS (Pet oable~lto6B ABaociation— 'Copyriglit.) BREAK IN AMERICAN AND GERMAN RELATIONS. GERMAN AMBASSADOR HANDED HIS PASSPORTS, AMERICAN AMBASSADORS AND CONSULS CALLED HOME, Press Association Extraordinary, ■. - • (United .Service.) Received February 3, G. 35 p.m. LONDON, February 3, The Daily Mail lias been informed from Washington tliat Count • Bernstorff received his passports on Saturday. V Press Association Extraordinary. (Australian and Sew Zealand Cable Association.) Received February 4,10,40 a.m. V, WASHINGTON, February 3. Count Bernstorff has been handed his passports, Tlie\ Hon. W. H. Gerard (American Ambassador to Germany) has been ordered home from Berlin, DISMISSAL OF GERMAN AMBASSADOR ANNOUNCED IN V , , 1 CONGRESS. ■ . - WILSON'S HISTORIC AND MOMENTOUS ' ; ; ' DECISION, " "V* - V • ■' " ' ■* t - . ' ' V WAR WILL FOLLOW AN OVERT ACT. . ./•<"' V '' - 'ft- '

(Australian and Now Zealand Cabin Association.) 1 » , Received February-1, 5.5 p.m. ' ' WASHINGTON, February 3, . l J i osidciit"AYilsoii- .'iiiiiiouuced in Congress tliat CoiiitL Bcrnstoi-llMias been dismissed, but. he did not believe''Germany A\ould tJrry out .the threat ol' t unrestricted sfibmarining. He would therefore await an overt act,' If Germany committed an oa ei I act; lie AVould ask Congress for power to protect Americans ■on the High' Seas. President-Wilson said that, he anticipated 'file Ne'utrals . would co-operate for «tliis purpose. , < : Pnor- to the statement in. Congress, President Wilson conferred uitli the' Cabinet; and the Foreign Relations Coimnittfio./; individual Senators convinced him of their loyal support Avlii.it- ' - ; :' ever.happened. : ■ ■ V . v ' The majority; of the. Senators favoured the breaking of , relations. , : ■ r Count Bernstorir says lie 'wasliuthoriseil to arrange for thepassage of ally American ship, \vitliout eontraljantl, tliVough the \ safety line to Falmouth, lie now explains,thai Germany slipu- ■ lated one.ship weekly,■..because she understood that only four. American passenger ships, were plying .to England. America - could increase the number.'..- '' . Tin 1 Stale Department is now issuing passports, aiidiCount • ■Bgi'ustorll is .leaving tor Europe, lnsti'iietions liavc been 'issued. to Mr Gerard to dose the Embassy at Berlin and: all tlurGon- -"• sulafes throughout All officials are. coming liome.; ; - ' Spain will attend to American diplomatic interests in Berlin, ,and Geimany will be! lepresented at Washington by, Switzerland. Senator Thomas lias introduced a Billjiroviding for the issue of Treasury Notes for naval and military preparedness lip to' > 1 £100:000,000.

ANNOUNCEMENT RECEIVED tyITH TREMENDOUS Q . I ENTHUSIASM. 'X ' RIGOROUS PROVISIONS TO CHECK LAWLESSNESS! ;■ / ~.* l "' ":■ , '* •: '■..•• s - ,-■* ,•■ - •'''• *->^aV.^!VV 1 -."^w**-^V^.-JI - ■ •' ~. -' ••• .'• ' ■■'.• V "'. . '".. Vi .:. ;^V' v *i •v ;, 'f' : y^';- l ;':Hi' AMERICANS OUTWIT GERMAN SCHEME* TO SMASH* , STOCK EXCHANGE. -" *' ' \-V' ...■ Cv'■':/ v. : ..- ■;:. , v.;;-

•...- '• (Australian anil New-Zealand Association;)■ Received February 4, 5,5 p.m. • ' , NEW YORK, February 3. i The announcement that America had • decided tp- sever diplo->., matic relations was;received -throughout tlie country with enthu- ' siasm, revealing the general ' belief' that' America's honour would- .-' be vindicat , ed.,,at;Avhatqvei , ,cost'.,' The demeanour in the streets (jf.NeAv York-is one of.i'estr.aiiicd••excitement,:the people realising' • that the: Government has taken v a most important decision. There is an absence of large groups 1 and: crowds'on the "streets, owing to the intense cold. ( . • / : All. steps are being taken by the police to prevent unlawful, acts by Germans. Police guards have been placed on railway . bridges and aqueducts,.'and -a • special • watch 'is- being 'kept on the rendezvous of known' .German plotters. A fecial force of two thousand constabulary is ready for emergency.; Although, the Germans :in New London fired t,he stored cargo intended for the Ijeatschlaud, the outbreak v was quickly- extinguished.

Tremendous enthusiasm characterised a great-' demoijstralion at' the Stock Exchange. 1 . ■' •

German financiers, who ..'had' been dealing in the market, endeavoured to force a panic, and ljogin a •wikl iiush to shortsoil.' They were expecting prices to drop below the records, but their plans met with complete defeat.' immedi-ately-held a series of hurried meoliugs, iiud Wall Street used its tremendous resources in a' patriotic move to prevent a panic. Following ;i pre-arranged -plan, they eagerly bought jill the German offerings. The result was that' they not only checked the panic, but the market closed firm at buoyant rates." The brokers then made a most remarkable 'demonstration, waving the Stars and .Stripes, cheering, and "singing again and again "Tlie Star Spangled Banner.-' ' :

BRITISIJ INTEREST CENTRED IN AMERICA. ROYAL NAVY EQUAL TO ANY EMERGENCY, .* i. /' h . OCEAN PASSENGERS AND BRITISH SEAMEN FEARLESS OF GERMAN THREATS,' , . .. ' ,1 ■ ' - (Renter's Telegrams.) • " •Received February 4, 5,5 p.m. LONDON, February 2.

After the first-wave 'of. excitement, interest in (Jreiit I'ritain now centres in America'. 'Everyone is awaiting; President Wilson's decision. The prospects- of ' Anieriea breaking with. Germany overshadows all other war topics,

Tlie Central News, has been assured from a high Admiralty quarter that .there is no ground for undue alarm, over tlie Germans' last U-boat threat.' The enemy's plaits hall -long been.loreseen, and adequate-precautions had been taken to (leal eHVetively with the new poljcy of piracy.

The. Central News emphasises the fact .thai', the Admiralty authorities alone are in a position to estimate- the submarine threat and measure its true .worth..- The public will be-relieved tolearn that the 'Navy'is equal, to any emergency.

The American shipping' companies state that 'the American bookings, have hot diminished." There are no •cancellations ol: bookings,'.which have lately been'larger than'usual. The travel-

ling public, is appai-t'iitly unperturbed, and eVen women show no -anxiety." It x is estimated that-a thousand American "passengers''arc now out lie Atlantic. i.- . .' '■

(Australian unit Calilt: Av-uehition.)

Received February. 4, 5.;) p.m. ' ' LONDON, . February 3,- ■ Germany's threat will not make the .least'.'dillerence to Hie crews of tlie merchantmen, who are confident of the Navys" power to cope with every difficulty. / The National Sailors' 1 and Firemen's IniOn states that llrilish vsailors/are not intimidated by threats of fright fulness,.; Nothing the Potsdam Pirate. cau : 'do in the future will be worse: than the terrors the seamen have experienced .in the past. \i. twenty sljiips had to sign on to-ilay there would not be the slightest dilficulty in getting tneii. .They are made -.of'the right' stuC : •; *

The consensui ol: opinion in shipping, circles,is tiiat the only difference is that the;. Admiralty will have to cope with more numerous,-and larger submarines. , ;; .

It is. stated that tlirefc submarines are completed.week'* in Germany, and there are sixty boats between Dant/ig and'• Willieliiisliaveii. The crews- have been given intensive training,'; and Have lju,un proiijk'd high rewards.., .

The -British Admiralty-, have -long kuoAvii* these rTivcts, tol jiavc* .flevoted-aliireiuilitiug attention to the«vital b'usimv^.of'suppressing..; llie.iueuaee. [The -Admirally have also greatly increased •tli'eii' ■ experience in dealing-with i|iiuing\ The .Germans are • continu- ./■ ously nulling certain parts o! the North Sen,which British; trawlers,are -regnhuiy sweeping-,up. 'German mining craft are.' . now goiiig, farther afield, but it is impossible to mine the ocean. ,' 'Minefields-must, be placed, in certain banks,and.certain narrowy water, where they are discoverable/ •' " • ' . : ■ ■ . The cool, firm allitude of the Allies is well summed up in ' .M.'lie 'Cto's speech jn the Paris : Senate, when lie skid: " What': more abominable crimes can the commit/ than they, havp- already committed? They have' nQYer hand-any scruples' -and- have always ''.broken the solemn cOnyenlioiif; .^jliey. luiyey signed."; /'-.K..W v "T.-Y'

SUPER-SUBMARINE FRIGHTFULNESS BEGINS.' '•. "N" >'■ --..v.' •' .t'\ " ; .j GERMAN PIRATES'IAD POLICY SINKING AT SIGHT. '

: : ; (United..ScrvlcV, )/.,■•• .. (r .-t-' ';! . i , RcceiVedsFebriuiiy 4, 5.5 p.m. _ \ I _ LONDON, February-2. ' i The super-lnghtlulness has begun, \ Submarines are madly shelling tiawlers and 'ihiHng ships u ' without warning. ' ' 1 The binknigs include. Ess'omte (British), Aleort Kepihave (Danish), Sardinia, Heela, aiid Ravensbourne (Nor'wegian). ' Two Jtrawlers were sunk by gunfire and three hves ; i were lost. > r " ~ J