on had
upheld the right of Americans to travel on the high seas in
merchantmen, and saw a surrender of national principle and an
abridgment of personal liberty if the United States yielded to the
terrorism caused by submarine warfare and warned Americans to stay at
home. The United States also recognized the right of belligerent
merchantmen to arm, but for defensive purposes only. At the beginning
of the war it so notified Germany in a memorandum naming the following
American regulations, among others, governing such vessels:

"A merchant vessel of belligerent nationality may carry an armament
and ammunition for the sole purpose of defense without acquiring the
character of a ship of war.

"The presence of an armament and ammunition on board a merchant ship
creates a presumption that the armament is for offensive purposes, but
the owners or agents may overcome this presumption by showing that the
vessel carries armament solely for defense."

The memorandum was sent to Germany as an answer to Germany's protest
against the refusal of the United States to intern as ships of war
British liners leaving or entering New York with guns mounted. Germany
dissented from the view that any belligerent merchant ship could carry
guns. The United States declined to modify its rulings, but informed
Germany that, recognizing the "desirability of avoiding a ground of
complaint", it had disapproved of British vessels using American ports
if armed, and had made such representations to Great Britain that no
armed merchant vessel, since September, 1914, with the exception of
two, had entered an American port.

The situation disturbed Congress. A resolution came before the Senate
on February 18, 1916, opposing acquiescence by the United States in
the notifications of the Central Powers of the right of their
submarines to sink armed merchantmen. The foreign policy of the
Administration was bitterly assailed by Senators Lodge and Sterling,
especially for its attitude in relation to the pending negotiations
over the new submarine order. For the Administration, Senator Stone,
chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, said the question of
armed merchantmen was at least debatable. The position at this stage
was that the Administration was taking cognizance of Germany's charge
that British merchantmen were armed for offensive purposes, had been
instructed to attack submarines, and that rewards had been offered for
their success in so doing. G