WILSON 



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WILSON 



Vera Cruz, at a cost of eighteen dead. But be- 

 fore intervention progressed beyond Vera Cruz, 

 the United States accepted the offer of media- 

 tion made by Argentina, Brazil and Chile (the 

 "A B C powers"), and the commissioners met 

 at Niagara Falls to discuss means of obtaining 

 peace. While the commissioners were in ses- 

 sion Huerta resigned, and turned the govern- 

 ment over to Francisco Carbajal, who stepped 

 aside for Carranza a month later. 



General Francisco Villa, Carranza's chief of 

 staff, then quarreled with the latter, and led an- 

 other revolution against the government. Car- 

 ranza, after an uncertain period when it seemed 

 that he might be defeated, gradually increased 

 in power and restored a measure of order to 

 parts of Mexico. On October 19, 1915, Presi- 

 dent Wilson formally recognized Carranza as 

 the head of the Mexican government. Mean- 

 while Villa, gradually driven northward by Car- 

 ranza's troops, took refuge in Chihuahua, and 

 from there made numerous raids on American 

 settlements. To hold him in check the Presi- 

 dent called out the militia to patrol the bor- 

 der, and sent General Pershing, with a force of 

 regular soldiers, to take Villa, "dead or alive." 

 An overconscientious regard for the sensibili- 

 ties of Carranza, who insisted on restricting the 

 operations of General Pershing's force, nearly 

 cost the lives of that entire force and finally 

 compelled its return without its quarry. 



Other Foreign Relations. The repeal of the 

 Panama Canal tolls exemption, at the request 

 of Great Britain, has already been referred to. 

 Another disturbing factor was the Japanese 

 Land Bill, passed by the state of California in 

 1913. In an effort to modify the state's course, 

 Secretary of State William J. Bryan went to 

 California, but the legislature resolutely fol- 

 lowed its own plans. On May 2, 1913, the 

 United States recognized the new republic of 

 China, and about the same time the United 

 States ratified a treaty which practically gave 

 it a protectorate over Nicaragua. In 1915 the 

 financial affairs of Haiti were placed under the 

 direction of American advisers, a plan similar 

 to that worked out for Santo Domingo. 



The War of the Nations. Altogether the 

 greatest problems faced by President Wilson 

 all centered about the war which was raging in 

 Europe. As the struggle progressed it became 

 more and more difficult to maintain American 

 neutrality. Both sides adopted indirect meth- 

 ods of inflicting injuries on each other, with 

 the result that neutrals, especially the United 

 States, were the chief sufferers. The British 



established a blockade against Germany and 

 the Germans began to torpedo neutral ships 

 within the limits of a so-called "war zone." 

 Several American ships were sunk by German 

 submarines early in 1915, and in May the 

 world was shocked by the sinking of the Lusi- 

 tunia, when more than a thousand people lost 

 their lives; among them were 112 Americans. 

 Many Americans felt that this act justified a 

 declaration for war against Germany, but the 

 President refused to be stampeded, and for 

 two years carried on negotiations, by which he 

 hoped to induce the Germans to abandon the 

 illegal use of the submarine as an offensive 

 weapon. Several times it seemed as if he had 

 finally won his point and had persuaded the 

 Germans not to torpedo merchant ships with- 

 out warning; but each time he was disap- 

 pointed, until finally there remained only one 

 course open to the United States to declare 

 war. (For details of the events leading to the 

 declaration against Germany, see WAR OF THE 

 NATIONS.) 



How the Crisis Was Met. The entrance of 

 the United States into the war was followed by 

 marked economic and industrial changes. New 

 legislation in various fields was necessary. For 

 example, foreign-built ships were admitted to 

 American registry, and special emergency in- 

 surance for ships was provided by the govern- 

 ment. The government assumed control, to a 

 greater or less degree, of certain industries, par- 

 ticularly those engaged in the manufacture of 

 munitions. Exports were curtailed, and embar- 

 goes were placed on shipment of various arti- 

 cles needed at home. Taxes were sharply in- 

 creased, particularly the taxes on large incomes 

 of individuals and corporations. Food and fuel 

 were to a considerable degree placed under the 

 control of the Federal government. The head of 

 the Food Administration was Herbert Hoover; 

 of the Fuel Administration, Harry A. Garfield, 

 a son of President Garfield. The heads of these 

 departments appointed administrators for each 

 of the states, and the latter delegated a part 

 of their authority to county and municipal 

 administrators. 



One of the striking features was the success- 

 ful flotation of the great "Liberty Loans," the 

 greatest single bond issues ever attempted. By 

 far the most significant result of American par- 

 ticipation was the voluntary adoption of regis- 

 tration and conscription for all men between 

 the ages of twenty-one and thirty-one, and the 

 drafting of the wonderful National Army. To 

 a greater degree than had ever happened be- 



