In the meanwhile the country was further aroused against Germany by the publication by the Associated Press of a plan to embroil the United States in war with Mexico and Japan. On 19 Jan. 1917, the German Minister to Mex ico had been instructed by Foreign Minister dence as soon as it is certain that there will be an outbreak of war with the United States, and suggest that the President of Mexico, on his own initiative, should communicate with Japan. suggesting adherence at once to the plan, and at the same time to offer to mediate between Germany and Japan. Please call to the atten tion of the President of Mexico that the em ployment of ruthless submarine warfare now promises to compel England to make peace in a few months.° During the month of March news reached the United States that three American merchant ships, the City of Memphis, the Illinois and the Vigilancia, had been sunk by German subma rines. This news influenced President Wilson to call Congress into extraordinary session on 2 April 1917.
The President's address to the Congress follows : " I have called the Congress into extrocedinary session because there are serious, very serious, choices of policy to be made, and made immediately, which it was neither nght nor tioristitutionally permissible that I should assume the responsi bility of making.
' On the 3d of February last I officially laid before you the extraordinary announcement of the Impenal German Gov enunent 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 submannes to sink every vessel that sought to approach either the ports of Great Britain and Ireland or the western coasts of Eurooe or any of the ports controlled by the enemies of Germany within the Mediterranean. That had seemed to be the object of the German wanes* earlier in the war, but since Apnl of last year the Imperial Government had some what restrained the commanders of its under-sea craft, in conformity with its promise. then given to us, that passenger boats should not be sunk and that due learning would 'be given to all other vessels which its submarines might seek to dm troy, 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 precau tions taken were meagre and haphazard enough, as was moved in distressing mstance after instance in the progress of the cruel and unmanly business, but a certain degree of restraint was observed.
" The new policy has swept every restriction aside. Vessels of every kind, whatever their flag. their cluiracter, their cargo. their destination. their errand, have been ruthlessly sent to the bottom without warning and without thought of help or mercy for those on board, the vessels of friendly neutrals along. with those of belligerents. Even hospital ships carrying relief to the sorely bereaved and stricken people of Belgium. though the latter were provided with safe conduct through the proscribed areas by the German government itself and were distinguished by unmistakable marks of identity,. have been sunk with the same reckless lack of compassion or of principle.
" I was for a little while unable to believe that such things would in fact be done by any government that had hitherto subscribed to humane.p.ractices of civilizecl nations. Inter national law had its ongm in the attempt to set up some law which would be respected and observed upon the seas, where no nation has right of dominion and where lay the free high ways of the world. By painful stage after stage has that law been built up, _with meagre enough results indeed, after all was accomplished that could be accomplished, but always with a clear view. at least, of what the bent and conscience of mankind demanded.
" This minimum of right the German government has swept aside, under the plea of retaliation and necessity and because it had no weapons which it could use at sea except these, which it is impossible to employ, as it is emploroll them, without throwing to the wind all szruples of humanity Or of resPect for the understanding that was supposed to underlie the intercourse of the world_ .
" I am not now thinking of the loss cd property involved, irr.mense and serious as that is, but only of the wanton and wholesale destruction of the lives of non-...,..ibatants, men. women. and children, engaged in pursuits which have always, even in the darkest periods of modern history been deemed innocent and legitimate. Property can be gra for; the lives of peaceful aW innooent people cannot . The present German submarine warfare agamst commerce is a warfare against mankind.
• t is a war against all mations. American ships have been sunk, American hod taken. in ways which it has stared us eery deeply to learn of, but the ships and people of other neutral end friendly nations have been sunk and overwhelmed in the waters in the same way. Thav has been so discrinsination.