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prevented from travelling freely, and that " cannot yield then without conceding her own impotency as a nation." The next day, President Wilson clandestinely met with House leadership at the so-called "Sunrise
Conference" and further declared that he would not accept an erosion of America's sovereign rights. President Wilson told his audience that the resolution of the German submarine controversy relied on the American people "standing behind the Executive". By this point, the mood in Congress had shifted back in favor of President Wilson, though Senator Gore remained steadfast in his anti-war views.
75:
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States forebear to exercise the right to travel as passengers upon any armed vessel of any belligerent power, whether such vessel be armed for offensive or defensive purposes; and it is the further sense of
Congress that no passport should be issued or renewed by the Secretary 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.
103:
182:, all of which resulted in American casualties. Despite Wilson’s efforts for compromise and peace, by the end of 1915, it appeared that war was imminent if Americans continued to lose their lives from German U-boat attacks on Allied merchant ships. When the 64th Congress began its second session in January 1916, one of its chief concerns was addressing the submarine policy where President Wilson had apparently failed.
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and that the US "entering the war now might be able to bring it to a conclusion and thus render a great service to civilization." Gore was unknowingly referring to the "Sunrise
Conference", and his statement was actually a fairly accurate account of the meeting, though the implication that Wilson wanted war was strenuously denied by other members of Congress.
216:
was no present intention to warn
Americans to refrain from traveling on belligerent merchantmen". The combination of the German declaration and Lansing's response that provoked a significant Congressional reaction with a flurry of bills and resolutions, among which were those of Senator Gore and Representative
368:, which passed both houses with an overwhelming majority. Senator Gore was not present for the vote in the Senate, but later stated that he would have voted against the declaration of war to remain true to his campaign pledges. Representative McLemore voted against the declaration of war in the House.
317:
On March 3, 1916, the Gore resolution was put up for debate and a later vote. During these debates, Senator Gore stated that he based his actions off of a report that
President Wilson had met with certain Congressional leaders and intimated to them that the US and Germany would likely soon be at war,
313:
So sure of victory was
President Wilson that on February 29, he called for the Gore–McLemore resolutions to be put to a vote. This was, in theory, a risky maneuver as a victory for the Gore–McLemore resolutions would have been detrimental to diplomatic efforts abroad. However, President Wilson wanted
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On
February 8, 1916, Germany announced that all armed merchantmen would be treated as ships of war and sunk starting by the beginning of March. In response, on February 15, Secretary of State Robert Lansing declared Germany fully responsible for any loss of American lives but also stated that "there
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obligated to stay off of the vessels of belligerent ships in order to minimize the risk of war between the US and
Germany. Like other Senators at the time, Gore was concerned that further loss of American life to German submarine attacks would force the US to sever diplomatic relations with Germany,
96:
Therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate, the House of Representatives concurring, that it is the sense of the Congress, vested as it is with the sole power to declare war, that all persons owing allegiance to the United States should in behalf of their own safety and the vital interest of the United
334:
Despite the submarine controversy at the beginning of 1916, by March, most
Congressional Democrats had fallen in line with President Wilson, who had "cracked the whip of party discipline" ahead of the 1916 election, which Wilson narrowly won. Though there was another significant submarine attack on
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committee, joined by other House and Senate leaders, requested a meeting with President Wilson on February 21, 1916, to clarify these issues. At the meeting, President Wilson seemed determined to support the right of Americans to travel aboard armed merchant vessels, declaring that he would sever
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On February 24, 1915, President Wilson exchanged letters with Senator Stone that further reaffirmed Wilson's commitment to preserving the rights of American citizens. In this letter, which was later publicized, Wilson argued that "many other humiliations would certainly follow" if Americans were
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By the end of February, President Wilson had consolidated support among Congressional Democrats for his diplomatic stance in Congress, and support for the McLemore resolution waned. On March 7, 1916, the House voted 276-142 to table the McLemore resolution, with House Democrats overwhelmingly
325:
This move reportedly unsettled other members of Congress, both supporters and opponents of the original Gore resolution, as they no longer were able to give thoughts on the amended resolution before the vote. The new language effectively inverted the resolution's meaning: a vote to table the
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if Germany continued to sink merchant vessels to the loss of American lives and insisting that Congress stop interfering in the diplomatic controversy. These words seemed to confirm the fears of anti-war Democrats in the Senate, like Senators Gore and Stone, who believed it necessary to warn
257:
In the aftermath of the German declaration, the sentiment in the House of Representatives clashed with that of President Wilson. Anti-war Democrats in the House took the initiative and requested that the President warn all US citizens to refrain from travel on armed merchant vessels through
285:
prepared a pro-Wilson resolution of their own to rebuff the McLemore resolution should it move out of committee. On the same day, one Representative read two newspaper editorials that called on Congress to support the President, which was apparently met with considerable applause.
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resolution was transformed into a vote against war with Germany, which was Gore's objective in the first place as an anti-war Congressman. Ultimately, the Senate voted to table the Gore resolution 68-14, with Gore himself voting in favor of tabling his own resolution.
302:, was introduced on February 25, 1916, and read into the Congressional record. Gore's resolution featured slightly different language to McLemore's, as it addressed US citizens directly and included a clause directing the Secretary of State to cease issuing
348:
As World War 1 raged on, the rift between Senator Gore and President Wilson only increased, as Gore continued his anti-war, isolationist streak and took issue with many facets of Wilson's foreign policy, both during and after the war. Gore's positions on
203:) introduced two controversial bills (these were distinct from the later so-called Gore resolution) intent on regulating the travel of American citizens on ships of belligerents. While Senator Gore acknowledged that American citizens had the technical
323:"The sinking by a German submarine, without notice or warning, of an armed merchant vessel of her public enemy, would constitute a just and sufficient cause of war between the United States and the German Empire."
798:
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The anti-war Democrats in the House apparently miscalculated how much support the McLemore resolution would receive from Democratic party leadership; after the meeting on February 23, Representative
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in certain cases. Gore likely knew that his resolution would not have passed Congress, as pro-Wilson Congressmen had already begun to reverse any pro-resolution momentum by the time Gore introduced
361:, that the Gore–McLemore resolution "was the first link in the chain of events that led to my defeat in ," but further explained that he thought that the US was "speeding headlong into war."
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to demonstrate that he had the support of Congress to foreign powers (such as Germany) who otherwise might have used the apparent disunity against the US in future diplomatic negotiations.
273:), chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, advised the Wilson administration that he would stall the McLemore resolution in committee. This sentiment was also later echoed by the
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the first step to declaring war. During the resulting debates on these issues, it became apparent that a rift between Congress and the President had begun to form.
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made several attempts to broker a compromise between Great Britain and Germany that would alleviate the danger posed to neutral vessels, but none succeeded.
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127:) through loans and the munitions trade. Additionally, the upper political class feared the impact a German victory would have on the Americas.
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Representative A. Jefferson McLemore's resolution H. Res. 147, introduced on February 22, 1916. The McLemore resolution was referred to the
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The American diplomatic situation was further complicated when the British successfully cut Germany off from supplies via a
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Declaring the sense of Congress relative to the travel of citizens of the United States upon vessels of belligerent powers
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had sought to remain neutral, at least in a military sense. However, in practice, the US was more sympathetic to the
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As a result of the furor in Congress over President Wilson's handling of the submarine controversy, Senator
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59:, ultimately, most Congressional Democrats rallied behind President Wilson. The McLemore resolution in
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especially earned him the ire of the Oklahoman press. Gore later wrote in a letter to his grandson,
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Several crises arose throughout 1915 as a result of Germany’s new submarine warfare policy, such as
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James W. Gerard, "The Ambassador in Germany (Gerard) to the Secretary of State", February 4, 1915,
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500:"A Question of Alternatives: Wilson, Bryan, Lansing, and America's Intervention in World War I"
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cooled tensions with Germany for the remainder of the year (when it came to submarine policy).
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right to free travel aboard any passenger or merchant vessel, he believed that Americans were
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Note: The following is an abridged version of the Gore resolution (S. Con. Res. 14 of the
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640:"The Gore–McLemore Resolutions: Democratic Revolt Against Wilson's Submarine Policy"
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Just before the vote on March 3, Senator Gore added new language to his resolution:
563:"Defending Democracy in Wartime: Thomas P. Gore's Liberal Dissent in World War One"
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cause, as the US maintained economic ties to the Entente powers (particularly the
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supporting the motion to table by a six-to-one-margin, especially in the South.
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in early 1915. In response, the German Empire declared the waters surrounding
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against travel on armed merchant or passenger ships of belligerent nations in
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https://www.congress.gov/bound-congressional-record/1916/02/22/house-section
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in the spring of 1916, and in the aftermath of maritime disasters such as
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that placed neutral passenger and merchant vessels in danger of
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https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1915Supp/d125
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https://www.congress.gov/bound-congressional-record/1916/02/25
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Tensions between Congress and the president in early 1916
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History of the foreign relations of the United States
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attacks. Over the next few months, President Wilson,
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Legislative journey of the Gore–McLemore resolutions
195:On January 5, 1916, the staunchly anti-war Senator
115:Since the outbreak of World War 1 in mid-1914, the
396:(4). Sage Publications, Inc: 117–119. April 1916.
262:, which discussed the resolution on February 23.
24:resolutions introduced in early 1916 that warned
710:"Senator Thomas P. Gore: Southern Isolationist"
449:"Anti-war Minority Group in Congress 1916-1917"
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364:In April 1917, Congress voted on a resolution
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695:"Congressional Record," February 25, 1916,
683:"Congressional Record," February 22, 1916,
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386:"Peace and War Measures Before Congress"
814:United States congressional resolutions
650:(1). Taylor & Francis, Ltd: 50–74.
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425:(S. Con. Res. 14). February 25, 1916.
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748:"Gore Vidal: A Grandfather's Legacy"
106:Representative A. Jefferson McLemore
71:shortly after they were introduced.
638:McDonald, Timothy (November 1963).
138:a war zone and adopted a policy of
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465:10.1111/j.1540-6563.1940.tb00485.x
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708:Billington, Monroe (March 1962).
561:Russell, Greg (May–August 2008).
447:Guthrie, Mildred (Spring 1940).
253:McLemore resolution in the House
260:House Foreign Affairs Committee
746:Lahood, Marvin (Summer 1990).
240:diplomatic relations with the
140:unrestricted submarine warfare
55:regarding Germany's policy on
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341:in April 1916, the resulting
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36:was preparing to ramp up its
809:United States in World War I
91:, dated February 25, 1916)
32:. These resolutions came as
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83:Text of the Gore resolution
63:and the Gore resolution in
22:United States Congressional
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804:1916 in the United States
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218:Atkins Jefferson McLemore
18:Gore–McLemore resolutions
366:declaring war on Germany
53:President Woodrow Wilson
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