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Show President Confers With Cabinet Officers, Who Advise Immediate Assembling As-sembling of Congress to Cope With International Interna-tional Crisis; Announcement An-nouncement Expected Wednesday. ' BELIEVED STATE OF WAR EXISTS 3mcial Reports From the United States Con-iul Con-iul Regarding Sinking of American Ships Without Warning Add to Tension of Situation. By E. B. SABTWELL, Staff Correspondent International News Service. WASHINGTON', Mareh 30. For two hours today President Wilson discussed the international crisis "with his cabinet cabi-net and heard urgent suggestions that the date for the extra session of congress, con-gress, fixed for April 16, be set forward for-ward to consider further steps in defense de-fense of American commerce against German submarines. It is understood there waa not a dissenting roice against thiB adrice. From the White house came the statement state-ment that the cabinet had thoroughly discussed the entire international situation, situa-tion, but believed nothing further could be said at this time. Some members of the cabinet intimated that the extraordinary extraor-dinary session of congress callpd for April 16 -would be called together at once, in order that the president may Itave the legislative branch of the government gov-ernment on hand for any eventualities Kmo umic luoj j. i. ti sun- ed that an announcement on this phase of the situation might be expected to- Venture No Statement. Neither the White houee nor mem-kors mem-kors of the cabinet, however, would venture ven-ture a direct or positive statement as to the probability of a oall for an earlier extraordinary session. It was learned, however, that this whole question had been carefully considered by the cabinet cabi-net and that some cabinet members believed be-lieved that an immediate call for congress con-gress would be construed by Germany as practically a declaration of war. They advised the president to await the convening of the extraordinary scs- sion called for nest month and devote I the interim to exerting every effort to f hasten the country's preparedness pians through the navy department and the war department. I It was understood tonicht that the president himself feels that the full I power of tho government should be mobilized mo-bilized to confront the dangers which have now becomo apparent to every ad-l ad-l ministration official. Whilo the cabinet thrashed over the critical situation, the state department received official reports thrtt fifteen ot the crow of the American ship Vlgi-lancia, Vlgi-lancia, sunk without warning, had been lost. Several of these were Americans. The reports transmitted by Consul Gen-I Gen-I eral Slcinnor to London wero sent at once to the White house, where the (president and his advi.sers went over . them. , Adds to Gravity. Itas stated thnt the dcntli list, add- iaateriallv to the gravity of the isnation, and thnt the dispatches deep-coed deep-coed the conviction of the administra- f (Continued on Page Fivo.) URGE GILL OF EXTRA ; mm it ohge i j (Continued from Page One.) ; tion that the German campaign of ruth-lessness ruth-lessness has become intolerable. Consul Genoral Skinner transmitted a report from the consul at Plymouth. It described in detail tho attack on the Vigilancia, saying the submarine fired two torpedoes at the vessel when she was 145 miles from nearest laud. The first torpedo missed, but the second was effective and the ship sank in ten minutes. min-utes. "No other ships were in sight," said the report. ''Crew of forty-five men attempted at-tempted to leave abandoned ship in two lifeboats. Twenty-five men were washed out of one boat by ocean swells. Of these ten were saved and fifteen drowned. Among the drowned were Third Engineer Carl Adheholde, a native American citizen, and Third Officer Offi-cer Neils North, a naturalized American citizen. Some of the crew drowned wTCre American citizens. They were adrift in lifeboats from Friday "morning at 10 o'clock until Sunday afternoon at 4 o'clock. Submarines of unknown nationality na-tionality followed lifeboats at a distance dis-tance of fifty yards from 10 o'clock : Friday night until Sunday morning. Submarines and lifeboats did not speak. Survivors landed at St. Mary's in own boat after suffering greatly from cold, wet and fatigue. One seaman, a Spaniard, Span-iard, paralyzed from exposure. Crew coming to Plymouth today." Tho advisers of the president who feci that immediate action should be taken to combat the submarine warfare pressed their contention vigorously, following fol-lowing the receipt of this dispatch. They declared that the Vigilancia case made it plain that Germany is determined to force her campaign of ruthlcssness to the limit against American merchant shipping, and that only immediate and aggressive reprisals can meet the situation. situa-tion. Secretary of the Navy Daniels, after the cabinet meeting was over, said no new orders had been insued and that "the situation remains unchanged." lie said, however, that the American plans for pressing the work of preparing prepar-ing the navy for any action that may be necessary would be continued with vipor and with all of the speed that the government can make. Xo announcement was forthcoming as to what further steps to protect American ships vt sea were un'lor consideration. Reports of negotiations for co-operation between the United Slates and t he en-tento en-tento allies to clear the shipping lanes of the Atlantic of submarines met with vigorous vig-orous denlflls today. It was made plain that the United States could not enter into any compact of this nature as long as the present policy of "arnie.i neutrality" neutral-ity" is rnntinurd and tha t all of the steps so far taken by the United States were solely and entirely without regard to the action of the belligerents opposed to Germany. Both the state department and the navy department asserted that i reports of a concerted action bv the 1 United Slates navy and the warshlos of the entente powers was absolutely wlth-j wlth-j out foundation. .Plans 'for organlzimr patrol squadrons of privately -owned motorhoats and yachts along the Atlantic cost wre discussed toniirht n t a conference between Secretary Secre-tary Daniels and Captain Ocnrce R. Mht-vell. Mht-vell. ;m assistant for operations. Captain Marvell reported he had arranged contracts con-tracts with many owners of small speedy boats sult-i hie. for mounting guns and chasing submarines or pstrolUnc the coast, to turn their vessels over to the government govern-ment in an emergency. A number of boat owners also agreed to volunteer as reserve officers. Rith Secretary Daniels and Secretary Tinker spent seven I ho'irs at their offices of-fices tcnight going over department business. busi-ness. The government tndav prennred definitely defi-nitely for fnmn'ul a ion tn clear tra ns-At'antic ns-At'antic steanishi", lanes of German submarines sub-marines and lo nritet the cat. The navai academy was ordered tn graduate grad-uate the senior c'ass March and te .Umior class in September so tbat :;74 more 'inior officers may be available speed- The president lias authc rized expend!- ture of the $UR, 000,000 emergency fund provided by congress to speed up construction con-struction of warships and suspended the law limiting labor In plants doing: gov-: ernment work to eiglit hours a day. I |