(_Message to the Congress, April 2, 1917_)
Gentlemen of the Congress,--I have called the Congress into
extraordinary session because there are serious, very serious,
choices of policy to be made, and made immediately, which it was
neither right nor constitutionally permissible that I should assume
the responsibility of making.
On the 3d of February last I officially laid before you the
extraordinary announcement of the Imperial German Government that on
and after the first day of February it was its purpose to put aside
all restraints of law or of humanity and use its submarines to sink
every vessel that sought to approach either the ports of Great
Britain and Ireland or the western coasts of Europe or any of the
ports controlled by the enemies of Germany within the Mediterranean.
That had seemed to be the object of the German submarine warfare
earlier in the war, but since April of last year the Imperial
Government had somewhat restrained the commanders of its undersea
craft in conformity with its promise then given to us that
passenger-boats should not be sunk, and that due warning would be
given to all other vessels which its submarines might seek to destroy
when no resistance was offered or escape attempted, and care taken
that their crews were given at least a fair chance to save their
lives in their open boats.
The precautions taken were meager and haphazard enough, as was proved
in distressing instance after instance in the progress of the cruel
and unmanly business, but a certain degree of restraint was observed.