Evening star., 1935-12-29
WILSON'S POLICY
IN WAR DEFENDED
Correspondent Says Sub
marines, Not Morgans,
Brought His Decision.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

to defend himself against the attacks
Of those who are attempting to prove
Morgan loans forced America into the
World war. .- -
The Senate Munitions Committee
has announced it intends to bring the
Morgan partners to Washington 10
testify on the subject of war loans.
The only inference that can be drawn
from this step is that the committee
hopes to prove Mr.. Wilson did not rec
ommend a declaration of war because
American rights had been violated by
German submarines, but because ma
terial interests were controlling
Eighteen years after the stirring
events that preceded American entry
into the war it is possible for all sorts
of innuendoes and inferences to be
made which cast discredit on the ad-
ministration of President Wilson, for,
obviously, as new generation has
grown up the facts of those days are
not as familiar as they were to current
observers.
Made Up Own Mind.
Ills Wl1tCI WdO d l1CWOPaPCA VA
respondent in Washington throughout
the period that preceded American
entry into the World War At no time
did the loans to the allies or the ma
terial interests appear to be factor
In Mr.. Wilson's policies, 1t Is true
his subordinates, like Secretary Lansing
and, later, Ambassador Page at Lon
don, made the argument that the
United States was considerably af-
fected by the war trade, but anybody
who says this influenced Mr.. Wilson
in putting America into the war is
impeaching the memory of a man
whose character ought never receive
that blemish of criticism.
Mr.. Wilson made up his own mind.
He struggled to avert American par
ticipation. While he knew American
farmers and American producers were
selling extraordinary quantities OF
goods to the allies, he hoped for peace
as a way out and not war. The most
convincing testimony as to what
caused America to enter the war has
been given by Count Won Bernstorff,
German Ambassador to the United
States, in his memoirs. He writes:
Nothing except the abandonment Of
the U-boat campaign could have pre-
vented war. 1t has frequently been
asserted that the notorious Mexico
telegram led to the war with the United
States. I do not believe this is correct.
The telegram was used with great sue
cess as propaganda against us, but the
rupture of diplomatic relations-as I
have already pointed out-was, in view
Of the situation, equivalent in all cir
cumstances to war"
U-B0at Turning Point.
What Count Won Bernstorff refers to
Is the break in diplomatic relations
which occurred on February 8, 1917.
which was several weeks Before the
famous Zimmerman note about pos
sible Mexican Japanese German al
lance was made public. Actually the
announcement of unrestricted subma-
rine warfare, which was made on jan
uary 9, 1917, was the real turning
point, and when America took up the
N1toA4CAA6Ct OA4 CYL doAy -, &14i1caoouoSA
Won Bernstorff reveals that he cabled
at once from Washington to the for
eign Office in Berlin: War inevitable
In view of the proposed action"
The issue which led America into
war was not a complex one. 1t was
the same principle that had led Amer
lea into war with Britain in 1872
and it is conceivably principle that
may again lead America into war.
Anybody can answer the question as
to what America would do in the
future under circumstances similar
to those that prevailed in 1917. The
question is simply this:
If ship flying the American flag,
owned by American citizens, carrying
American citizens and no implements
of war, but foodstuffs and the usual
commodities of trade. should venture
out of New York Harbor destined for
another neutral country and be
haled by a war vessel of a country
with which America is at peace, but
which country happens to be engaged
in a war with another nation, and
If this American ship is ordered to go
back into port, should such dictation
be accepted?
If the answer is in the affirmative,
then hundred foreign airplanes COM
ing over to the United States. as did
the Balbo expedition couple of years
ago, could also dictate what American
factories should keep open, what ones
should close because materials for use
of foreign countries were being pro-
duced. The principle is just the same,
whether the command is given outside
or inside the 12-mile limit, or with
respect to a line 1900 miles or more
at sea.
American Rights Violated.
When American citizens, riding on
American ships, we're killed by SUBJ
marine attack without warning, Wood
row Wilson considered that American
rights had been violated. He regarded |
Germany's declaration of unrestricted |
submarine warfare as a declaration of |
war upon us. He said to Congress in |
his war message:
There is one choice we cannot |
make, we are incapable of making We |
will not choose the path of submis- |
sion"
The peace-at-any- price advocates
VIII insist Mr.. Wilson was wrong and |
that tomorrow, If the situation were
repeated, America would close her
ports aud her factories, order her
farms to cease shipping foodstuffs to |
any foreign countries, including neu-
trails, and let the belligerents fight it |
out The idea that belligereat rights |
must be narrowed and not neutral |
rights forfeited has been American
policy from the beginning Of the re-
public. To give up the seas to bellig- |
ereuts and submit to their dictation |
of what an American citizen may do |
under the American flag if he is en-
gagged in lawful trade with other neu- |
trail countries Is contradiction of
American policy. and, II adopted by |
Congress, would certainly mean that |
an apology is due not only Germany |