ilable contrast to his previous opposition to Congress voting
on the resolutions forbidding Americans to travel on armed
merchantmen, the President suddenly executed an audacious _volte face_
on February 29, 1916, by demanding a test vote upon them. The
congressional leaders were confounded by the request, coming as it did
after they had done their utmost to suppress the resolutions in
deference to the President. But the latter made his reasons for
changing his attitude cogent enough in a letter he addressed to
Representative Pou of the House Rules Committee.

"The report," he wrote, "that there are divided counsels in Congress
in regard to the foreign policy of the Government is being made
industrious use of in foreign capitals. I believe that report to be
false, but so long as it is anywhere credited it cannot fail to do the
greatest harm and expose the country to the most serious risks.

"I therefore feel justified in asking that your committee will permit
me to urge an early vote upon the resolutions with regard to travel on
armed merchantmen, which have recently been so much talked about, in
order that there may be afforded an opportunity for full public
discussion and action upon them, and that all doubts and conjectures
may be swept away and our foreign relations once more cleared of
damaging misunderstandings."

The House resolution, which was proposed by Representative McLemore of
Texas, was thereupon revived for immediate consideration. The
President's demand for a vote upon it came on the eve of the date set
by the Teutonic Powers for inaugurating their submarine war on armed
merchantmen, March 1, 1916. The ensuing events belong to the next
volume of this history.

CHAPTER LXII

DEVELOPMENTS OF PRO-GERMAN PROPAGANDA--MUNITIONS CRUSADE DEFENDED--NEW
ASPECTS OF AMERICAN POLICY

Pro-German propaganda soon developed far beyond its original aim.
Registering protests against the Administration preserving a
neutrality according to its own interpretation of American laws proved
ineffective. Balked in this, the crusade took a form which was plainly
an outgrowth of a countrywide circulation of literature emanating
from German publicity organizations devoted to presenting the Teutonic
cause in the most favorable light to the American people. Opinions
being free, epistolary zeal of this kind violated no laws, and words
broke no bones. In the fact that the crusade failed perceptibly to
swing national senti