First World War In 1917 we were drafted into the First World War. President Woodrow Wilson had to find a way to persuade the American public to go along with an intervention in another of Europe’s wars. Although restrained to be neutral in the deadly conflict by the Neutrality Act, he sent our navy to shepherd British convoys across the Atlantic. German U-boat commanders did not take the bait and avoided contact with the US destroyers. To force the issue, a US naval ship sailed into the midst of a battle between British and German naval fleets and was sunk. But when the truth was learned, Wilson had to find another way. The Lusitania was a speedy warship refitted by the British as a passenger liner. Unknown to its passengers the Lusitania was carrying a huge cargo of military equipment and munitions in violation of the US Neutrality Act. The Germans knew that and tried to warn the passengers by placing advertisements in prominent US newspapers. The US State Department ordered all of the newspapers to refuse the ad. Only one newspaper in Des Moines, Iowa, bravely published the information. To ensure a successful provocation, the Lusitania was ordered to sail at 75% speed using only three of its four powerful engines. Then the naval escort was ordered away leaving the Lusitania vulnerable as it entered the war zone. The first torpedo hit the explosive cargo and blew the bottom out of the Lusitania. It sank in only 18 minutes. 126 innocent civilians died. Wilson now had his provocation to rally Americans behind the “War to End All Wars.” The US participation in WWI exacerbated the national debt so that it became impossible for us to pay it off in 1929. It also enhanced the War Powers Act that President Lincoln, by Executive Order put in place during his Presidency. This War Powers Act was re-enforced and the Trading with the Enemy Act of 1917 was passed to define, regulate, and punish those who were trading with enemies, who were then required by that act to be licensed by the government to do business. This will become more important later on.
Posted on: Sat, 17 Aug 2013 16:53:22 +0000
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