Dimitri’s Reviews > Nothing Less Than War: A New History of America's Entry into World War I > Status Update

On cue, the first armed merchant was torpedoed off the Breton coast on 1 April as antiwar rallies reached pitch to no aval & faced harrassment. "ironically in one sense the Chief Executive was requesting war in order to preserve his nation's rights as a neutral" i.e. protect its maritime power.

A string of sinkings in the first quarter of 1917 was pushing public opinion over the brink; the State Department no longer protested the Royal Navy's blockade & the Federal Reserve resumed the purchase of treasury notes [IOU's].
Hoover's Commission for the Relief of Belgium was ordered to pull out of Belgium and France [no note whether it continued its activities, in absentia, via Brotain and/or the Netherlands ?]

USA no longer sounded convincing in its neutral idealism. A final "Peace Without Victory" speech on 25/01/1917 to endorse an international coaltion was dismissed asutopian.
On February 3rd, unrestricted submarine warfare resumed.... but:
"You carry food to an enemy of my country & tough I am sorry it is my duty to sink you." Captain Rose of U-53 rescued the entire crew of his target & dropped them off at Cornwall.

The prevalent cockiness among Europe's governments in turn deepened the split between the two American parties over the pro & con of intervention, but they jointly urged both belligerents to show their true aims; if these weren't "noble enough", the US would take sides. As Lansing sold it to the press: we send a peace note but prepare for entry. This "si vis pacem para bellum" approach caused a short PR panic.

Wilson personally disliked the famous "he kept us out of the war" slogan, fully aware of the diplomatic tightrope it concealed. Since the summer, it had become clear that nobody in Europe really wanted America to arbiter a peace without reparation. Theodore N. Kaufman could've scored with the cry "Germany must Perish!" in this climate.

The 1916 presidental election was a close run, with very similar platforms. including a World Court or such, a stronger Navy for global post-war interests & an army that would be nurtured but save its strength at the same time. the Democrats could taut domestic legislation that improved wages: so far, neutrality held without scarcity, so it was hard to find and point blame for either Party.

All this economic power could force the blockade. Episodes like the Easter Rising irked more than just the German-Americans & newspapers had long memories of 1902. On the other hand US also needed imports of the Empire (rubber, tin) & would hurt its own economy without large profits from grains&arms: "With American prosperity a reality, the US had far more to gain materially by acquescence than challenge Britain.

Secretary of State Lansing's diary entry: "When we do go into the war & we might as well make up our minds that we are going in, we must go in on the side of the Allies, for we are a democracy... we can determine to a large extent who is to be financed & who is not." True; 30% of British imports came from Neutrals; 40% of its chemicals & alloys for guns 'n shells from the US and Wall Street was its main creditor...

The 1st National Defense Act of June '16 was too cautious to satisfy the preparedness lobby, out of touch with the WWI numbers game & even a disappointment to the isolationists. The National Guard, placed under Federal control, showed (only) defects in training & material when they reinforced their brethern in the southern border states after Pancho Villa's raid on the town of Colombus earlier in March..

the (first) (modern) blacklisting of firms by Britain & next by her Allies was widened to include US based firms under German management in July 16. It was the rivet that resurrected the US merchant marine from the mists of the Civil War.