<P> On December 11, 1941, American Chargé d'Affaires Leland B. Morris, the highest ranking American diplomat in Germany, was summoned to Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop's office where Ribbentrop read Morris the formal declaration . The text was: </P> <P> MR . CHARGE D'AFFAIRES: </P> <P> The Government of the United States having violated in the most flagrant manner and in ever increasing measure all rules of neutrality in favor of the adversaries of Germany and having continually been guilty of the most severe provocations toward Germany ever since the outbreak of the European war, provoked by the British declaration of war against Germany on September 3, 1939, has finally resorted to open military acts of aggression . </P> <P> On September 11, 1941, the President of the United States publicly declared that he had ordered the American Navy and Air Force to shoot on sight at any German war vessel . In his speech of October 27, 1941, he once more expressly affirmed that this order was in force . Acting under this order, vessels of the American Navy, since early September 1941, have systematically attacked German naval forces . Thus, American destroyers, as for instance the Greer, the Kearney and the Reuben James, have opened fire on German submarines according to plan . The Secretary of the American Navy, Mr. Knox, himself confirmed that - American destroyers attacked German submarines . </P>

What was not a reason for the united states to declare war on germany in 1917