Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-05-01

Copyright 1924 by the George H. Doran
company in the United States, Canada, South
| America World publication rights reserved
by Current News Features, lncorporated.)
CHAPTER XNVII
MO one thing led the United States
into war with Germany. The
sinking Of American ships by
submarines, the loss of American
lives on the high seas, the plotting
of the German foreign office of an al
lance between Mexico and Japan
against the United States, the procIa-
nation of unrestricted submarine
warfare by the Germans in defiance
of the laws of war and the rights of
neutrals, all of these played their in
fluential part, but when Woodrow
Wilson read his message to congress
he localized the war-he said it was
To- make the world safe for democrat
ry through the defeat of militarism
| md autOcraCy.
Those who watched at close range
| the events in Washington which led
! TO the great climax will differ in
| their judgments of what turned the
scales to war but it is the author S
conviction that President Wilson,
conscious Of a united public opinion
and resentful of the violation or
| American rights, entered the contest
| because he believed, first, that the
| United States must aid the allies to
win and, second, that the entry OF
| the United States was the surest
means of forcing peace.
The effect of the Russian reVolu-
ton. which at first inspired everyone
with enthusiasm because of the re-
birth of Russia itself, soon came to
be understood as a German victory
| for it released the kaisers troops
| from the eastern front and enabled
the German high command to con-
centrate on the western front, where
the forces of the allies were proving
themselves unable to withstand the
drives of the German army. Ihe
Russian revolution impressed Mr..
Wilson as a bad omen for the allied
cause-for he never believed that q
German victory would mean peace
in Europe. He thought it would only
be a truce until another war could
be fought, for he knew the spirit OF
France and England. In the United
States preceding the declaration OF
war which came on April Z, l9lH
there was no doubt about the deter
mination of President Wilson.
Relations Severed
The severance of diplomatic rela-
tions with Germany on February )
| had paved the way for the inevitable
STEP The president was simply
shaping his course to write war
message that would assure him of
a sympathetic opinion and an en-
thusiastic nation.
Even in those days there was
distinct objective in Washington ful-
filed twenty months later when the
German people overthrow the I'M
Iperial German government and
sought an armistice. Mr.. Wilson rec
ognized that his message would be
looked upon by future generations
as The exposition of q new foreign
policy. The Spanish-Amerlcan war
IChanged our policy in the sense that
| it gave US overseas possessions ana
interests. There was no telling thet
what the result might be of the big
ser venture.
BY making war on the imperial
German government instead OF the
German people MIR. Wilson left the
door open to resume relations at any
time with the German people, of
whom so many had come to Amerl-
can shores and had become useful
I and loyal citizens. He hoped the
| German people some day would dem
onstrate by their choice of leaders
that they were ready and willing to
return to those ways of honorable
dealing and humane action which
| German governments had so often in
the past manifested in their inter
course with the United States.
Hardly had President Wilson be,
gun to organize Americas forces
when the series of missions from
France and Great Britain started an
era of confusion as to the best
method of applying Americas help
to the struggle abroad. The British
wanted food and ships, the French
wanted troops. The story of Ameri-
cas- mobilization is too recent and
too vivid in recollection to be por-
trayed here. The presidents burdens
were staggering, yet he moved into
the fray with precision, kept his
head and never lost sight of his
ilicllil ObJCNllNC pNctNN'
Peace Step Made
Even as early a. the autumn 1917
Mr.. Wilson sent Colonel House
abroad to bring about if possible an
understanding among the allies on a
declaration Of war aims which would
be instrumental in laying the founda-
ton for ultimate peace. The author
had occasion to present tn the presi-
dent in that month an inquiry pro-
pounded by a newspaper editor with
reference to peace discussion. Mr.
Wilson said in October, 1917, that
he thought the newspapers could
have no conception OF what fire
they would he playing with in, dis
cussing peace then at all, in any
phase or connection. He said:
The Germans have in effect re-
allied their program Of Hamburg &c
Ba2dad,' could afford to negotiate
as to all the territorial fringes, and,
if they could bring about a discus
sion of peace now. would insist upon
discussing it upon terms which
would leave them in possession OF
all they ever expect to get 1t is,