February 3: ON THIS DAY in 1917, President Breaks Relations With Germany
ON THIS DAY IN 1913, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “Washington — An income tax is now one of the provisions of the Constitution of the United States. Wyoming’s ratification today of the income tax amendment — the sixteenth change in the Constitution and the first since the reconstruction — completed a list of thirty-six states — three-fourths of this Union, which have approved the provision. Congress now will enact a law to levy the tax, and it probably will become effective during the extraordinary session to be called by President-elect [Woodrow] Wilson in March. The tax itself, its provisions and its limitations are all left to Congress. The new law probably would supersede the corporation tax and provide for a tax on all incomes above $5,000, although there has been some sentiment in favor of making the limit as low as $4,000. Congressional leaders who have been preparing for the final ratification by the states estimate an income tax would bring in about $160,000,000 a year to the government.”
***
ON THIS DAY IN 1917, the Eagle reported, “Washington — Diplomatic relations with Germany have been broken. Ambassador Gerard is being withdrawn from Berlin, and Count von Bernstorff, German ambassador, is making preparations to leave Washington immediately. At 2 o’clock this afternoon, the President is to appear before a joint session of Congress, at which time he will officially inform that body of what has been done. Opinion is universal that the United States and Germany will be in a state of war within a short time. This is regarded as the inevitable result of the severing of relations. The recall and dismissal of ambassadors in 1898 was a prelude to the Spanish-American war and the present situation is similar. The decision of the president, which has been inevitable since Germany’s program of frightfulness at sea was promulgated, became known at the White House at 10:30 o’clock this morning, immediately following an announcement that Mr. Wilson would appear before Congress at 2 o’clock.”
Brooklyn Boro
View MoreNew York City’s most populous borough, Brooklyn, is home to nearly 2.6 million residents. If Brooklyn were an independent city it would be the fourth largest city in the United States. While Brooklyn has become the epitome of ‘cool and hip’ in recent years, for those that were born here, raised families here and improved communities over the years, Brooklyn has never been ‘uncool’.