WAR OF THE NATIONS 



6174 



WAR OF THE NATIONS 



point by Germany's open offenses against the 

 rights of noncombatants, for whom the United 

 States, as the most powerful neutral, felt 

 obliged to speak. 



Not only did America seek to remain at peace, 

 but on proper occasions it offered its good offices 

 to end the war. It did so, in 1915, and in 1916, 

 with but little hope of immediate success. 

 Again, in November, 1916, when official America 

 must have known of the imminent peril con- 

 fronting the country, President Wilson ad- 

 dressed the warring nations, asking that each 

 make known its war aims. He declared the 

 .United States to have a "vital interest in meas- 

 ures to be taken to secure the future peace of 

 the world." The reply of ten allied nations 

 made it clear that the end of strife was not in 

 sight, for they demanded restoration of territory 

 seized, evacuation of invaded provinces, in- 

 demnities for wrongs committed and the reor- 

 ganization of Europe on a basis of nationalities 

 and full security for the peace of the future. 

 Germany's reply was a scathing denunciation of 

 the allies. 



Offenses Against the United States. It must 

 long have been evident to officials, though not 

 within the knowledge of the masses of the peo- 

 ple, that the United States was fated to take its 

 place among the nations fighting to destroy a 

 monstrous military system. Forebodings of 

 serious business ahead there were in plenty. 

 Among the offenses giving cause for open dis- 

 agreement which were known to all people were 

 the following: 



(1) Germany's anger against the United States, 

 constantly increasing, because of its sale of muni- 

 tions to the allies. The Teuton state declared it 

 to be an unneutral business, notwithstanding the 

 fact that Germany could have had like favors. 

 It explained its position by declaring that inas- 

 much as it could not get such goods Into Germany 

 because of the blockade America therefore had no 

 right to sell to the allies. However, during the 

 Russo-Japanese War Germany sold munitions to 

 Russia ; In the Spanish-American War, to Spain ; 

 and in the South African War, to the British, 

 when the Boers were Isolated and could not pur- 

 chase in Europe a situation identical with that 

 of Germany after 1914. The laws of nations per- 

 mit neutrals thus to serve belligerents. H.-i-l tin- 

 United States withheld Its product from Europe. 

 !t has been officially pointed out, It could never 

 hope for like purchases on its own account on 

 some future occasion of dire need. 



(2) The loss of 102 Americans among 1,198 

 victims of the sinking of the Lusitania, on May 

 7, 1915, by a German torpedo. Germany declared 

 It was not responsible for the deaths of Ameri- 

 cans on the ground that the German embassy 

 in Washington had publicly warned passengers 

 not to embark upon the vessel. The Imperial 



Government placed responsibility upon Great 

 Britain, because of its blockade of German ports. 

 This tragedy resulted In several notes to the 

 German government upholding the rights of neu- 

 trals to freedom of the seas : It was contended 

 that the Lusitania was a merchant vessel, sub- 

 ject to search and seizure, If found to contain 

 contraband, but that the laws of nations guaran- 

 teed the safety of non-combatants. The wanton 

 act horrified the people. Germany, after much de- 

 bate upon the subject of neutral rights, gave its 

 promise not to torpedo vessels of commerce with- 

 out warning and without assuring the safety of 

 passengers. 



(3) During 1915 and 1916 over 3,000 lives were 

 lost on passenger vessels by means of German 

 torpedoes ; the duty of searching and seizing was 

 ignored, and destruction and death came without 

 warning. Fully 200 of this number were Ameri- 

 cans. The American government sent protests 

 continually to the Imperial German government. 



(4) Plots In the United States whose success- 

 ful execution resulted In great material damage 

 and loss of life. These were proved in many 

 cases to have been instigated by German emis- 

 saries, and were directed largely against manu- 

 facturing plants engaged in the production of 

 munitions. There were nine of first magnitude in 

 1915, and over twenty which were less serious. 

 In 1916 and 1917 the number was reduced mate- 

 rially by the arrest of conspirators and the vigi- 

 lance of the secret service. 



(5) The "war zone" in European waters, into 

 which no merchant vessels were to be allowed by 

 Germany without receiving its permission. This 

 order would have made a considerable part of the 

 high seas a German ocean had the mandate been 

 respected. The United States government was 

 told it could send one passenger vessel each week 

 to England, through a lane designated by Ger- 

 many, provided It painted said vessel in certain 

 colors for complete identification. This attempt 

 to destroy neutral rights further aroused the na- 

 tion and led to arming merchant ships for their 

 protection, a circumstance which greatly angered 

 Germany and led to the most serious indictment 

 against it, named below. 



(6) Unrestricted submarine warfare. Presi- 

 dent Wilson had extracted a promise of visit and 

 search before destruction of a merchant vessel, 

 but after arming of merchant ships Germany 

 declared such action was a menace to submarines, 

 and the promise was withdrawn. In its place, on 

 February 1, 1917, after one day's notice, an- 

 nouncement was made that unrestricted subma- 

 rine warfare would be resorted to and that all 

 vessels, wherever found, would be sunk without 

 warning. 



This breach of faith led at once to the dismis- 

 sal, on February 3, of the German ambassador, 

 Count Von Bernstorff, from the United States, 

 and the recall of James W. Gerard, American 

 ambassador, from Berlin. 



More Potent Causes for War. Millions of 

 people failed to see even in German . ruthless- 

 ness at sea adequate cause for war involving 

 the American republic, and were puzzled when 



