The Morgan City daily review. (Morgan City, La.) 1916-1920, 1917-08-16
HOW THE WAR CAME
TO AMERICA
low the war came to america.

now the war came TO america.
1t is in this frame of mind, fear
ing We might be drawn into the wal
if it did not soon come to an end
that the President began the prepar-
alton OF his note, asking the belll-
gerent powers to define their war
aims. But before he had completed
it, the world was surprised by the
peace move Of the German Govern
ment-an Identical note on behalf
of the German Empire, Austria
Hungary, Bulgaria, and Turkey,
sen. through neutral powers on De-
cember IL, 1916, to the governments
of the Allies, proposing negotiations
for peace. While expressing the wish
to end this war-''a catastrophe
which thousands Of years Of common
civilization was unable to prevent
and which Injuries the most precious
achievements OF humanity"-the
greater portion of the note was
couched in terms that gave small
hope of lasting peace. Boosting Of
German conquests, 1.-The glorious
deeds OF our armies" the note i'm
planted in neutral minds the belief
tina. it was the purpose of the I'm
perial German Government to insist
upon conditions as would leave all
Central Europe under German do
minance and so build up an an En-
pire which would menace the whole
liberal world.
Moreover, the German proposal
was accompanied by a thinly yelled
threat to all neutral nations; and
from a thousand sources, official and
unofficial, the word came to Wash
ington that unless the neutrals used
their influence to bring the war to
an end on terms dictated from Ber-
lin, Germany and her allies would
consider themselves henceforth free
from any obligations to respect the
righ.s OF neutrals. The Kaiser order
ed the neutrals to exert pressure on
the Entente to bring the war to an
abrupt end, or to beware of the
consequences. Clear warnings were
brought to our Government that if
the German peace move should not
be successful, the submarines would
be unleashed for a more intense and
ruthless war upon all commerce.
On the 18th Of December, the
President dispatched his note to all
the belligerent powers, asking them
to define their war aims. There was
still hope in our minds that the mu-
tual suspicious between the warning
powers might be decreased, and the
menace of future German aggres-
sion and dominance be removed, by
a guaranty of good faith in
a League of Nations. There was a
chance that by the creation of such
a league as part of the peace nego-
the war could now be
brought to an end before our Nation
was involved. Two statements issued
to the press by our Secretary of
State, upon the day the note was dis
patched, threw clear light on the
seriousness with which our Govern
nent viewed the crisis.
From this point, events moved
-apidly. The powers of the Entente
'eplied to the German peace note.
Neutral nations took action on the
tote Of the President, and from both
'elligerents replies to this note were
soon in our hands.
The German reply was evasive-
n accord with their traditional pre-
ference for diplomacy behind closed
loors. Refusing to state to the world
heir terms, Germany and her allies
merely proposed a conference. They
adjourned all discussion of any plan
.or a league of peace until after hos
il;ties should end.
The response Of the Entente
Powers was frank and in harmony
With our principal purpose. Many
questions raised in the statement of
heir aims were SO purely European
n character as to have small inter-
st for US; but our great concern in
europe was the lasting restoration
f peace, and it was clear that this
vas also the chief interest of the En-
ente Nations. As to the wisdom Of
ONE Of the measures they proposed
owsrd this end, we might differ in
pinion, but the trend Of their pro-
'osals was the establishment Of Just
rontiers based on the rights Of al
ations, the small As well ~ the
reat, to decide their own destines.
Al