"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 England and from and
to France, etc., 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 fourth 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 eighteenth 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 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American Ambassador at Berlin will immediately be withdrawn; and, in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.
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