Evening star., 1939-05-03

WOIVu WAL III
1917 for purely selfish reasons and
merely to protect the "capitalistic"
interests or commercial proflteers
The purpose of this sort of smoke
screen is to tie the hands of the
Government of the United States
so completely that it will be powell
less to protect its lawful rights when
war does break out. The assumption
abroad that the American people
are willing to buy peace at any price
and that they abhor war so much
that they will allow their territory
to be attacked without resistance is
result that could easily flow from
constant reiteration Of the idea
that only "capitalistic" interests
drag nation into war.
The greatest injustice is being
done by this propaganda to the
memory of the members of Con-
gress who voted for war in 1917,
and to President Wilson. who reluc-
tantly led the Nation into war.
Many members of Congress are
still in office who voted for the war
declaration, but anybody who wants
to know the truth need only consult
the Congressional Record in the
debate which preceded our entry
into the war.
Matter Of Defense.
Such staunch Republicans as Sen
ator Warren Harding of Ohio, who
later became President, maintained
that they were voting for a war
declaration strictly in self-defense.
Thus Mr.. Harding in his address to
the Senate on the night war was
declared made 1t clear that he did
not vote for war because of any
endeavor to preserve democracy, but
as a matter of defense He pointed
out that American rights had been
violated on the high seas and that
the United States could not allow
any nation to dictate to her on the
use Of the seas
This correspondent was in Wash
ington throughout the period pre-
ceding the entry of the United
States into the war in April, 1917,
and had an opportunity to examine
at close hand all the documents
which at the time related to the
war issue. The American Govern
ment tried to keep out of the war
and would have succeeded in so
doing but for the declaration by the
German government on February
/, 1917, that any ship of whatsoever
nationality found in zone 100
miles at sea from the British coast
would be torpedoed by submarines
without warning. This meant not
merely, as has been contended here
Of late, ships carrying munitions to
countries at war, but any passenger
vessel or merchant ship whether
bound to Norway, Sweden, Denmark
or any other country not at war.
The basic principle confronting
President Wilson was whether he
would surrender the right of the
United States to travel the seas in
peaceful commerce-an issue on
which the United States had fought
the War of 1872 and on which
throughout all history international
law had clearly established neutral
rights to be immune from attack
when contraband or war supplies
were not being transported.
Have Views Changed?
II the American people are willing
to surrender the above principle
now, the meaning in terms of
national defense becomes clear. 1t
means that If at any time during
q future world war, one or the
other Of the belligerent countries
decides that the factories of the
United States must stop manufacture
Ing raw materials for transport over
seas or the farmers must stop grow
ing foodstuffs, the airplanes OF such
q belligerent nation would feel justi-
fled in coming over to attack Ameri-
can cities unless the United States
agreed to accept dictation from a
foreign government as to what
should be grown or produced or
transported. Maybe the American
people are ready to surrender that
much to foreign dictation, but II
they are, 1t is contrary to what the
American people said in 1917.
For many months the American
people hoped to avert war % years
ago, and President Wilson labored
in every way humanly possible to
prevent American participation. To
say that he declared war for any
selfish reason is libel which any
one who watched the congressional
debates carefully will refute. For
the final vote showed only handful
Of persons voting against war.
It is true that in this minority
were men like Senator Norris of
Nebraska, for instance, who said to
tho Senate that the declaration OF
war was putting the dollar sign on
the American flag" but his col
leagues in the Senate considered
this an absurdity and so did public
opinion as manifested in the church,
the press, the educational institu-
tions and the forums Of the land.
It is easy enough now when viewing
in retrospect Americas tragic ex-
perience with the peace treaty to
condemn those who voted for the
declaration, but the facts as they
existed at the time the action was
taken do not bear out the propa-
ganda to the effect that solely for
sordid and selfish reasons was the
Nation plunged into war.
Mr.. Wilson's contention was that
the proclamation by Germany of un-
restricted warfare against any and
all ships, no matter whether destined
to belligerent or neutral ports, was
In fact declaration of war against
the United States. and the Wilson
message to Congress merely recog-
rtzed the existence of state of war
begun by the imperial German gov
ernment. Neutrality issues will be
easier to understand If the veil of
the so-called anti-war propaganda is
lifted and the pressure to keen out