of State, or by anyone acting under him, to
be used by any person owing allegiance to the United States for
purpose of travel upon any such armed vessel of a belligerent power."

As voted upon by the Senate, this resolving clause had disappeared and
the following substitute with the preamble unaltered, had taken its
place:

"Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring),
That the sinking by a submarine without notice or warning of an armed
merchant vessel of her public enemy, resulting in the death of a
citizen of the United States, would constitute a just and sufficient
cause of war between the United States and the German Empire."

CHAPTER LVIII

THE PRESIDENT UPHELD IN ARMED-MERCHANTMEN ISSUE--FINAL CRISIS WITH
GERMANY

The issue in the Senate, as far as the text of the resolution was
concerned, was beclouded. Senators on both sides vainly sought to
ascertain what the change meant. Senator Gore himself even voted
against his amended proposal. But out of the confusion the upshot was
plain. The debate before the Senate had been on the question whether
Americans should be allowed to travel on armed belligerent ships, and,
whatever the resolution finally expressed, that was the question on
which Senators really declared their aye or nay. Technically, the
Senate had failed, if it had not actually refused, to adopt a
resolution hostile to the Administration's foreign policy. Another
resolution similar to that originally proposed by Senator Gore,
sponsored by Senator Jones of Washington, was withdrawn by him, and a
bitter debate continued for hours without any measure pending. Hence
the Senate had technically gone on record against declaring war on
Germany if any of her submarines sank an armed merchantman without
warning, thereby causing the death of any American on board. Actually
it supported the Administration in its policy upholding the right of
Americans to travel on belligerent ships, and the handful of Senators
who voted for the amended resolution were hostile to the President's
stand.

Meantime parliamentary tactics by the President's opponents in the
House of Representatives successfully delayed the submission of the
McLemore resolution to a vote. The Foreign Relations Committee had
decided, by 17 to 2, to report it, with the recommendation that it be
"tabled." The resolution had even been abandoned by its author,
Representative Jeff McLemore of Texas, who was of opinion that it