The hero of the World War
232. A War of All the People.We have been studying in this history the lives of America's greatest men and women, and the ways they have served their country. But in the last great part of American history, the World War, what counted most was the loyalty of every one of the people to a free government, and their willingness to fight and work unitedly for its safety. The plain, everyday American is our hero in this chapter.
A WAR GARDEN POSTERIn the "Food Will Win the War" campaign posters urged all school children to make gardens
A WAR GARDEN POSTERIn the "Food Will Win the War" campaign posters urged all school children to make gardens
A WAR GARDEN POSTER
In the "Food Will Win the War" campaign posters urged all school children to make gardens
The war was so big that if each citizen had not done his bit, Germany might have conquered. The work of shipping boards and directors of fuel supply was less important than the work done by ordinary people. Much was done to win the war in the homes of each boy and girl in the United States as well as on the battlefields of France. Every member of the family found things he could do without to help buy more Liberty bonds. Boy Scouts sold bonds and thrift stamps. Girls worked to get food-card pledges. Mothers planned the meals carefully to save the wheat, meat, and sugar that had to be sent across to our army. Brothers and fathers had to answer the draft call and go to training camps if necessary. Not only must food and money, gasoline and coal, be saved, but everyone who could not fight overseas was expected to do some useful work.
With one hundred million people in the country, we might think it would not make any difference if we let someone else do our part. But this was not the spirit of America. For the most part, each person himself felt that this washiswar, fought forhisrights and forhisaims. And because for the most part each person acted as if success depended on him, Europe was amazed at America's swiftness in getting ready to fight.
America by tradition aloof
The United States did not decide to enter this war until it had been going on nearly three years, for its people had come from nations fighting on opposite sides. Besides, war had always been a common happening in Europe, and the United States had always tried to keep its hands free. Washington and Jefferson and later Monroe had advised that we should only be "interested spectators" of quarrels abroad.
The powers involved
233. A World at Arms.The outbreak of the war surprised the world by its suddenness. The heir to the throne of Austria, Archduke Ferdinand, was murdered in June, 1914. Austria blamed Serbia for the murder. When Serbia would not agree to all that was demanded of her, Austria at once declared war. The largest nations of Europe were united in two groups. Germany took up Austria's quarrel; Russia, France, and England combined to oppose Germany. Italy was bound to defend Germany and Austria if they should be attacked, but now believed they were the attacking nations, and later came in against them. Bulgaria and Turkey threw in their lot with Germany and Austria, these four nations forming the Central Powers, and Japan and Roumania with the Allies, as the nations opposing them were called.
Invasion of Belgium
Germany's first act was to rush her troops across the borders of Belgium, straight toward Paris. Belgium, of course, was too small a state to stand against the armies of her stronger neighbors. On this account the great nations of western Europe had agreed never to invade Belgium, and now England felt bound to go to her defense.
Events at sea
British, French, and Belgian soldiers, fighting in whatever order they could, checked the on-coming masses of Germans. The Allies stopped them at the Battle of the Marne, far within France. On the sea England's mighty navy quickly put an end to all German shipping. She kept the German navy from venturing even into the North Sea. But German submarines could not be so easily blocked up, and slipped out and sunk Allied vessels.
Opinion favors the Allies
234. The American Government Neutral.When Germany first attacked Belgium, some people believed that the United States should break off relations with her at once. Our government declared itself neutral. President Wilson asked the people to be friendly in their dealings with all the nations at war. But Germany's headlong haste in declaring war, and her methods of waging it made most Americans anxious for the success of the Allies.
Germany protests
The European countries were too busy fighting to raise all the food or forge all the guns their armies needed. They were producing these things on a very great scale, but had to buy vast quantities besides. The United States was the country best able to supply them. The great steel factories of the country worked night and day making shells, tanks, and war material of all kinds. Since England controlled the seas, everything we made went to the Allies. Germany protested strongly against our supplying her enemies with the means to fight her. But America, not being at war, had a right to trade with all countries. To give up this right would have been to take sides with Germany. American merchants were willing to manufacture goods for Germany, but she could not send ships to get them.
THE LUSITANIA
THE LUSITANIA
THE LUSITANIA
235. Disputes with England and Germany.Our government had a just cause of complaint against England. Her acts were not always strictly lawful. She stopped our ships on the high seas and searched them, destroying mail which she thought was intended for Germany. When the United States objected, she promised to make good all losses.
The Lusitania
Germany, on the other hand, not only destroyed American goods but American lives. One of the two largest passenger ships ever built, theLusitania, was sunk by a German submarine on May 7, 1915. Over one hundred Americans went down. Again there was a great cry that Germany should be punished. But President Wilson made every possible effort for peace. He gave Germany a chance to prove that she did not mean to continue such lawlessness. Finally Germany promised to take Americans off the ships to be sunk. In spite of her pledge Germany failed to change her methods. New notes protesting and more ships sunk was the order of things for almost two years.
A peace-loving nation
President Wilson was severely criticized for this "warfare of notes." But many people were not yet convinced that this was different from other European wars. Otherwise Congress, which like the President is the servant of the people, might have declared war sooner. The country was peace-loving, and far away from roaring guns and ruined towns of Europe. In a way it is to the credit of the American people that they were slow to believe inthe world-wide plots of the Kaiser, and the reported cruelty of his soldiers.
United support of war essential
236. The Need of a United Nation.President Wilson sought to be a true public servant, by listening to the opinions of people throughout the land. He did not try to lead the nation into war while the feelings of the people were still divided. A divided people could have done little in this gigantic war.
His training made him able to understand the temper of the American people well. He was a student of history, and the author of well-known books on the American government.
Wilson's boyhood
President Wilson's boyhood was much like that of any other boy. In his classes he was neither brilliant nor slow. He took part in all regular school sports, and at Davidson College once saved the day for his team in baseball. Later at Princeton and Johns Hopkins, two of the most famous eastern universities, he studied history and economics. At the age of twenty-three he began a book calledCongressional Government, which shows his command of words and thorough knowledge of his subject.
WOODROW WILSON
WOODROW WILSON
WOODROW WILSON
Governor of New Jersey
He had tried practicing law, but did not make a success of it and decided to be a teacher. In this he is like many other Americans who have failed in their first undertaking, and have later been successful in a different line. He taught first at Bryn Mawr, a woman's college near Philadelphia, then at Wesleyan, the old Methodist university, then at Princeton. "Princeton, Trenton, Washington"—Wilson's career has been jokingly summed up, for he was in turn chosen president of Princeton, governor of New Jersey, whose capital Trenton is, and President of the United States. On the whole, his record at Princetonand Trenton, and as President during his first term, was that of a liberal and fearless chief. The elections of 1916 came at a critical time and President Wilson was reëlected partly because "he kept us out of war." Banners with this motto on them were largely used in the campaign. The American nation did not have that "warlike spirit" of loving war for war's sake which the Kaiser boasted of in his people.
A Mexican Crisis
In 1913 Mexico had been so upset that it looked as though the United States might be drawn into a clash with her. President Wilson avoided this except when our soldiers landed at Vera Cruz for a short time. Later General John J. Pershing was sent down to Mexico to punish Villa and his outlaw bands. He killed many of Villa's followers, but the wily old fox himself escaped.
Germany's lawless acts
After theLusitaniawas sunk, the submarine warfare grew more widespread and reckless month by month. In January, 1917, Germany openly declared that in the future she would not limit this warfare by any rules whatever. She aimed to cut off all supplies from Great Britain and to starve her people. She gave America one little port among the British Isles where the United States might send her passengers and commerce. Secret agents of the Central Powers had been blowing upfactories in the United States, and purchasing newspapers to defend the German cause. Their treacherous acts had already caused President Wilson to dismiss the German ambassador.
Germany's statement that hereafter her submarines would know no law at last proved to all the nation that America could not honorably remain out of the war.