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PAGE TWO War Declared 2fl Years Ago; Looking Back On Those Days In a series of six articles author of “The World War Day-by-Day” feature throws light of retrospect on that momentous period when the United States Entered the World War. This is the first of a series of six articles in which the author “The \World War I>ay-by-I>ay” summarizes new evidence that has come to light since the Armistice on the reasons why the United States went to war, 20 years ago. Where opinions and conclusions are expressed in these articles they are Mr. Kinnaird’s and do not necessarily represent the views of this newspaper. By CLARK KINNAIRD Central Press Staff Writer • President Thomas Woodrow Wil son walked through lines of soldiers with drawn sabers into the Ameri can House ; of ‘Representatives on April 2, 1917, to devote 38 minutes to saying, elaborately: . . I advise that the Congress declare the recent course of the Im perial German government to be in fact nothing less than war against the government and people of the United States ...” There was no surprise for the joint assembly of the congress in special session in what he said; only inter est in how he would say it. Mr. Chief Justice White led the first applause the address drew, with tear s rolling down his face. Appa rently the only persons in the throng who did not join the applause were the diplomats, who were restrained by official etiquette, and certain sena tors —“A little group of willful men” — who, by filibustering in the closing days of the previous Congress, had helped to defeat the armed neutrality bill. Already at War In asking Congress to declare war, the President was but making a for mal gesture, for the 'nation was al ready at war. It had been at war, in fact since March 17. Just what had happened to bring this about? Just how and why did the United States get into the con flict? There was no one reason, but a py ramid of circumstances. It has taken all of the subsequent 20 years for even the contributing factors to come to light sufficiently to be understood. It is the parallels that can be re cognized in America’s position in world affairs in 1937 and in the pre sent policies that make so fascinating the evidence that has finally come to light about America’s position in 1914-T7. War Factors In this series, the writer will take up one by one the factors most often cited as the reason for America’s en try into the war —such as foreign propaganda, the invasion of Belgium, Germany|s anti-submarine campaign, “Wall Street bankers.” It is neces sary to consider first of all President Wilson’s own part in the making of the war. Speaking in New York, June 30. 1916, he said: “I get a great many let ters, my fellow-citizens, from import ant and influential men in this coun try; but I get a great many other let ters. I get letters from unknown men from humble women, from people whose names have never been heard and will never be recorded, and there is one prayer in all these letters: Mr. President, do not allow anybody to persuade you that the people of this country want war with anybody’.” This was two months after a secret “sunrise conference” at the White House, attended by Speaker Clark and Representatives Flood and Kitchin, the latter Democratic floor leader, at which Mr. Wilson expressed “eager ness for war.” Advised Against War Apparently to avoid publicity, the president invited a small group of congressional leaders to an early morning conference at the White House and vehemently stressed to them his conviction that the United States must break relations with Ger many at once. Their determined op position to any such move and their assurance that they would fight it in Congress forced Wilson to abandon the plan, at least for a time. Also, a note which he had had Secretary Lansing draw up severing diplomatic relations was discarded in favor of further “neutrality.” Soon afterward the slogan, “He kept us out of war” was echoing through the nation. Yet four months after the President had been re-eiected on that platform, the nation was at war. British Views It is interesting to look back on what an English statesman said of President Wilson and the war. John Dillon said in Parliament: “The difficulties with which Presi dent Wilson has been confronted in the last two and one half years have not been sufficiently appreciated in this country. He had to keep the na tion united and bring it united into war. He had to deal with a people who had a deep-seated and ineradi cable hatred of war. To bring the United States into the war was to make them go against one of the deep est instincts of the soul of the race.” Premier Asquith said: “The war was doing little appreciable harm to the material fortunes and prosperity of the American people. Nor were American interests, at home or abroad directly imperiled.” Earl Curzon said: “The caife of Ame rica entering the war is widely dif ferentiated from that of any of the other allied countries. All of the lat ter has a, direct personal interest in the war, but America’s interest is sec ondary and remote." Hie Vote in Congress The declaration of war was car ried by a vote of 373 to 50 in the House, and 82 to 6 in the Senate. A most frequent argument in favor of the resolution was that it was a ques tion of standing behind the President in a controversy with a foreign power. Some speakers who announced their intention of voting “yes” expressly as serted that they would vote “not” ex cept for the fact that wa rhad already been decided upon, the resolution was going through, and' opposition was hopeless. - -- . _l_ m— “ ----- ||_J —— ffltt .svmmwok! .<>* ABMtAftttMiiitfMififiiMiitfIiitdiiiiiiMitfIIIIIIIdHIIIIIIMIMIIIIiIIMHIMMMMMIMIIIIIMMMMMIMMMIIINffiWMNi ‘ ■ ~v».. ,< e * An historic scene in the U. S. house of representatives on April 2, 1917—President Woodrow Wilson recommending to joint session of „ house and senate that war be declared on Germany. President Wilson at all times had complete control of the American and diplomatic negotiations which failed of their professed object, peace, and by progressive steps carried the na tion into war. Twice Congress seriously opposed his aggressive attitude toward Ger many. The first of these contests was early S? MCMTHPIECE READ THIS FIRST: Charles Stuckey, of a Condon law Arm. reluctantly has agreed to a scheme to defraud the daughter of one of his few respectable clients, Jacqueline Smith, of an inheritance of $1,500,000 from an American uncle. In keeping with the plan. Colonel Alex Lutman, who has a hold over Stuckey, and Jim Asson, an ex-convict, are stopping at the same hotel in Cobenzil with Mrs. Smith and her daughter. Jim hopes to marry the girl, having her assign her property to him, before Stucfkey in forms her of her inheritance. In dire financial straits, Mrs. Smith already is impressed with Jim, posing: as a wealthy Englishman, as an admirable “catch” for her daughter. Lutman, in the role of Jim’s trustee, subtlely threatens Jacqueline with a check he cashed for her mother returned marked “insufficient funds”. NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY: CHAPTER 13 JACQUELINE suddenly got up from her chair, strode into the hotel, knocked at the door of her mother’s bedroom, and went in. Mrs. Smith, with her eyes closed and a wisp of handkerchief grasped in her hand, was lying on the bed. “Mother!” The older woman opened her eyes and closed them again. “What is it, Jacqueline?” she said in a weary voice. “I don’t want to be disturbed just now.” “I’ve beer talking to Colonel Lutman.” “Yes, dear. So have I. At least, he has been talking to me. I’m feeling dreadfully upset. I had no idea Colonel Lutman had such a hasty temper. He shouted.” “He has told me about the check.” Mrs. Smith opened her eyes. “Well?” “Mother, what on earth made you do a thing like that? It’s awful. It’s fraud—cheating—you must have known there was no money there.” “Yes, dear, of course I did.” “Yet you wrote a check and asked Colonel Lutman to cash it?” “No, dear; I didn’t ask him. He offered. I suppose I let slip that I was a little short of money, and he said he’d be pleased to cash a check for me, and I did it. But I never dreamed the bank wouldn’t give him the money for it. I’ve often overdrawn my account be fore.” “But for $750, mother—as much as two quarters’ allowance from Uncle Alan!” “Well, the bank would have got it back, Jacqueline, in due course, and I really had to have it. I’m sure I don’t know where all the money goes. It’s no use getting cross with me, Jacqueline. Colonel Lutman wasn’t at all nice about it, and I really can’t stand any more. Look on the dressing table, dear, will you? I believe there’s a bottle of aspirin.” Jacqueline did not move. “I suppose you realize, mother,” she said, “that If Colonel Lutman had gone to the police . . .” “Oh, yes, I realize that. Colonel Lutman told me. I was an un scrupulous woman, he said, and he could put me in prison if he chose to. It’s the first time anybody has called me an unscrupulous woman, and I’m terribly hurt about it. dear. HENDERSON. (N. C.) DAILY DISPATCH, SATURDAY, APRIL 3, 1937 in 1910, and was occasioned by the an nouncement of Germany that armed merchant vessels of its enemies would be regarded as ships of war. A strong opinion developed, both in and out of Congress, that persons taking pass age on such armed vessels should do so at their own risk, and each of the chairmen of the foreign relations committees notified the President that ana if you start Dunying me, too. . . .” “Did you give the money back to Colonel Lutman?” Mrs. Smith gazed at her in sur prise. “Give it back, Jacqueline? Os course I didn’t give it back. The Colonel asked for it, but I said I’d spent it already and he couldn’t have it.” “I see,” said Jacqueline. “And where is it, mother?” “I’m not going to tell you, Jac queline. I know what’s in your mind. You want to take it and give it to Colonel Lutman.” “Mother, we must—at least as much as you’ve got left.” “I’m not going to do it, Jacque line,” said her mother firmly. “And I’m not going to let you do it. I I can’t. It’s all I’ve got, and I don’t care what anybody thinks of me—l’m not going to give it up. If it’s fraud and cheating and all that sort of thing—then I’ll be a fraud and a cheat.” “Mother! I wonder you’re not ashamed!” “That’s it—now you turn against me, Jacqueline. Ashamed! Per haps lam ashamed. Perhaps—all these years, lying and pretending and using nasty little subterfuges —p erh a p s I’ve always been ashamed. You’ve never thought of that, have you? You’ve thought I was hard, unprincipled, that as long as I could have nice food and pretty clothes I didn’t care what petty little meannesses I used to get them. But I didn’t mind your thinking that as long as I could somehow keep going and give you everything you needed.” “Mother —please!” Mrs. Smith dabbed her eyes with her wisp of handkerchief. “You’ve thought I was just a de ceitful, conceited, selfish woman,” she went on, “who didn’t realize the cheap, contemptible sort of life I was leading. But I’ve always realized, and I’ve always hated it just as much as you have, and now you’re turning against me!” Sud denly she buried her face in the pillow, sobbing. Jacqueline went to her and laid a hand on her shoulder. “Mother!” “No—leave me alone, Jacqueline. You don’t understand —you’ve never understood. I’ve kept strug gling on, trying to do my best for you, and you’ve only despised me.” “Mother, I haven’t despised you. And I have realized. I’ve often thought how wonderful you were.” “So you may have done, Jacque line,” sobbed her mother, “but you’ve never done anything to help me. I’ve tried so hard to fix every thing for you so that you shouldn’t have to live the sort of life I’ve lived, and you’ve never backed me up. There was that _ charming young fellow in Paris with more money than he knew what to do with. He was dreadfully in love with you, and everything would have been splendid if you’d mar ried him, but you ruined every thing—just because he hadn’t a great deal of chin.” “But mother, I really didn’t love him!” '“You didn’t try to, Jacqueline. a clear majority of his respective com mittee and House favored a formal warning to American citizens against risking their lives on such vessels. Speaker Clark |told the President Congress was 3 to 1 in favor of such a warning. Opposition to Wilson But the President opposed warn ing Americans against taking pass- You nardiy knew the man. He was perfectly charming if only you’d looked a little farther than the chin. And it was the same in Rome, and the same in Vienna, and the same everywhere else. If their chins were all right, you always found something else wrong with them. I’m sure I don’t know what you do want as a husband. You can’t marry a Greek god. People in our station of life can’t expect to do that sort of thing. And if you did, you wouldn’t be happy. You’d have to keep him under lock and key. And now—now —Oh, go away, Jacqueline, and leave me. I’m just terribly unhappy.” “And now what, mother?” “And now there’s Jim A.sson,” sobbed Mrs. Smith. “He’s terribly rich and very good-looking, and if only you’d marry him—but of course you won’t. You’ll probably find he’s got a hammer toe or something, and we shall just go on and on, living the same cheap sort of life, pinching and scraping and telling lies and—Oh, it’s all so hopeless, Jacqueline. I feel I can’t go on any longer. I just want to lie here and cry.” The girl was silent, frowning thoughtfully; and then her frown vanished and her eyes seemed. to soften; her hand went out and touched her mother’s shoulder again. “Mother, listen.” “Just leave me alone, Jacque line.” “There’s no need to be unhappy, mother. There’s no need to cry. I suppose I’ve been a selfish little beast, but I won’t be any more. And you won’t have to struggle and tell lies and pinch and scrape any more, either. Are you listen ing?” Her mother nodded. “That’s all done with—forever, mother, because I’m going to marry Jim Asson.” ' Mrs. Smith suddenly sat up. “Jacqueline! My dear—do you really mean it?” “I do. Does that make you happy?” Mrs. Smith caught her hand, drew her close and kissed her cheek. “Bless you, dear!” she said. “I’m sure you’ll be terribly happy.” “I’m going to tell Jim now.” Her mother nodded. “Do, dear,” she smiled. “And then I’ll talk to Colonel Lutman fibout the business side. You can safely leave that to me.” “I’m sure I can, mother.” “It must all be done legally,” said Mrs. Smith. “I shall write to Mr. Stuckey at once. Run along, dear, and find Jim.” Jacqueline hesitated. “About that check, mother . . .” “My dear, I’m sure I shan’t wor ry about that now. Why, Colonel Lutman will be almost a relative. I don’t suppose he’ll mention it again when be hears of your en gagement.” “And if he does?” Mrs. Smith smiled. “Well, you’ll soon be married, j dear, won’t you?” (To Be Continued! age on armed ships. Following the tabling of the resolution calling for a warning, “for party reasons,’’ three representatives—Page of North Caro lina, Sherwood of Ohio and Eagle of Texas —announced their intention of retiring from Congress because of their belief that Wilson was leading the country into war. The President’s other notable con test with Congress occurred over his request in February, 1917, for a grant of power “to supply our merchant ships with defensive arms . . •” A large number of senators and repre sentatives opposed the plan. Chair man Stone of the Senate Foreign Af fairs Committee, refused to handle the bill on the floor. Under the President’s political whip the bill passed the House, but was defeated in the Senate by the opposi tion of 12 senators—“a little group of willful men,” the president called them. A few days earlier, an amendment had been inserted in the House in the Navy bill, reaffirming it to be the policy of the United States “to adjust and settle its international disputes through arbitration or media tion. It was characterized as “a slap at Wilson.” Submarine (Warfare Illegal?' In overruling Congress on the ques tion of warning American citizens against taking passage on the armed ships of belligerent countries, Presi dent Wilson apparently proceeded on the assumption that Germany’s use of the submarine was* an offense against “the sacred and indisputable rules of international law.” But as he him self had substantially admitted a year EDGAR WALLACE CENTRAL PRESS ASSOCIATION 5* READ THIS FIRST: Charles Stuckey, of a London law firm, reluctantly has agreed to a scheme to defraud the daughter of one of his few respectable clients, Jacqueline Smith, of an inheritance of $1,500,00C from an American uncle. In keeping with the plan. Colonel Alex Lutman, who has a hold over Stuckey, and Jim Asson, an ex-convict, are stopping at the same hotel in Cobenzil with Mrs. Smith and her daughter. Jim hopes to marry the girl, having her assign her property to him, before Stuckey in forms her of her inheritance. In dire financial straits, Mrs. Smith already is impressed with Jim, posing as a wealthy Englishman, as an admirable “catch" for her daughter. Lutman, in the role of Jim’s trustee, subtlely threatens Jacqueline with a check he cashed for her mother returned marked “insufficient funds”. Finding her mother distraught over their finan cial plight and Lutman’s implied threat over the check. Jacqueline tells her she will marry Jim. NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY: CHAPTER 14 ; AFTER LEAVING her mother Jacqueline found Jim Asson smok ing a cigaret in the lounge, and seated herself beside him on the settee. “Well, Jim, do you really want me to marry you?" “Os course I do, Jacqueline. I’ve been waiting and hoping . . “Listen, Jim, before you start getting rapturous,” interrupted the girl. “I don’t love you, and if I marry you it will be because I'm sick of never having a shilling to spend, sick of the sort of life I’ve been leading. It’ll be because you’ve got enough money to give me a home of my own and a good time and nice clothes and all that sort of thing, and because you’ve prom ised to make mother a generous allowance. Is that clear?" ( “You don’t give me much chance to misunderstand, Jacqueline." j “It’s best to be frank. That’s jwhy I should be marrying you, and jfor no other reason at all. I don’t :want to marry you under false pre tenses. I like you, but I don’t love ,you and I don’t believe I ever shall llove you.” “It sounds a bit cold-blooded, ■Jacqueline.” ! She smiled. “Your proposal wasn’t exactly ardent, Jim,” she reminded him. “That’s the posi tion, anyway. Os course, I’ll be a sport and play the game and be have as a good wife is expected to behave, but it will only be for the reasons I’ve given you. Do you still want to marry me?” "Os course.” "Righto, Jim; I’m willing. So we call it a bet, do we?” “Absolutely. And as soon as possible, eh, Jacqueline? I’ll see old Lutman and get things fixed up and we’ll be married straightaway, shall we?” She nodded and got up. “See you later, then, Jim,” she said, and went up to her bedroom. There, for a long time, she sat staring out of the window. “But why?” she kept asking herself. “Why does Jim want to marry me? And why does Colonel Lutman want him to?” * • * Charles Stuckey on the sunlit terrace of the Hotel Walderstein was a very different person from Charles Stuckey in the dingy office of Messrs. Stuckey & Stuckey in London. He was dressed, for instance, in a suit of plus-fours of vivid pat tern, which, though it caused no commotion in the valley of the Danube, long since inured to the British tourist’s conception of suit able attire for foreign travel, would probably have caused a riot in Rotherhithe. From the pocket of his jacket protruded the inevit able folding pocket kodak, and on the back of his head he wore a green Austrian hat complete with its bunch of feathers. He was smoking a large German pipe, puffing at it furiously as he studied the little German phrase-book in his hand. Moreover, there was a look on his face which was never there when Charles Stuckey was in his Rotherhithe office. He never enjoyed himself there as he was enjoying himself now. He had not been there many minutes before he had decided that he liked CobenziL He liked the sunlit terrace of the hotel; he liked the view across the river; he liked his hat and the appearance, if not the taste, of his pipe; and he liked particularly the lpok of the girl who was seated a little farther along the terrace beneath the shade of the big umbrella, i The only thing which so far he earlier (note of July 21, 1915), the le gal and illegal uses of the submarine had not been adjudicated in any in ternational court, or in any way and the Constitution says, “Congress shall have power . . . to define and punish . . . offenses against the law of na tions.” In the debate on the armed ships bill, it was repeatedly admitted that the’ President’s request for a grant of power was a request for a war-mak ing power, which Congress cannot con stitutionally relinquish or give away. In the same debate it was generally conceded that the arming or convoy ing of munitions ships would consti tute an aggressive act, since muni tions, being absolute contraband, were subject to seizure and destruction un der all interpretations of international law. The President, nevertheless, re fused to accept an amendment prohi biting the arming or convoying of ships carrying munitions. When the armed ships bill failed, the President assumed the authority which Congress had failed to grant, arming private ships with naval guns, and making no distinction between munitions ships and others. The conditions under which these armed ships put to sea swept all sa lient distinctions which the \merica:i and British governments had previ ously drawn between armed merchant ships and war vessels. Hence the war with Germany may be considered to date from March 17, 1917, when the first armed American merchantman or ship of war put to sea. The first armed ship to start for the barred zone was the St. Louis of •‘Well, Jim," do you really want to marry me ?” hats found did not quite meet with his approval was the fact that the waiter/ though no doubt he had been bom and bred in the country, seemed quite unable to understand his own language—at least, as it was explained in .Charles’ little book) “Beer!" Said Charles, raising his voice as if mere volume of sound would convey his meaning. “I want some beer and a newspaper— anything but a Sunday news paper.” “Bier, ja,” said the waiter. “Sunday?” He raised his eye brows, spread out his hands, and shook his head. “You don’t understand Sunday?” said Charles, and hastily consulted the index of his little book, found “Days of the week”, and began hurriedly thumbing the pages. And then, before the book could throw any light on the subject, he heard the blessed sound of a very pleasant voice saying in English, “Can I help you ?” and glanced up to see Jacqueline, looking even more attractive at close quarters than she had looked beneath the umbrella, smiling at him in a friendly way. Charles replied with his broad est smile. “Thank heaven!” he said fer vently. “You speak English. It’s the most marvelous thing that has happened to me since I entered the valley of the Danube.” “Marvelous? It’s the language I was bom into.” Charles nodded. “That explains it,” he said. “Why you speak it so well, I mean. You do, you know. You speak it much better than I speak German, and much better than this chap understands German. He doesn’t even know the days of the week. I asked him for any newspaper but a Sunday one, and he looked as if I’d asked him to lend me a fiver.” Jacqueline turned to the waiter and rattled off a sentence in Ger man which brought to Charles’ eyes a look of rapt admiration; and the waiter, evidently under standing quite easily what she had said, turned and hurried away. “Thanks awfully,” said Charles. "And now, will you—if that sort of thing is allowed in this country —will you allow me to offer you a drink? You can order it yourself, you know, because the only drink I know in German is beer.” Jacqueline nodded toward her table beneath the umbrella. “I have one there,” she said. “Come and join me, won’t you?” They seated themselves under the umbrella and Jacqueline, ac cepting a cigaret, studied Charles keenly spr some moments; and then, satisfied, apparently, with the the American line, a subsidiary of the International Mercantile Marine, whose stock control was held in Eng land. By April 2, not one of his armed ships had met a submarine, but the President admitted on that date: “Armed neutrality, it now appears, is impracticable . . . because ... it is impossible to defend ships against their (submarines) attacks as the law of nations has assumed that mer chantmen would defend themselves . . . Armed neutrality is practically certain to draw us into the war.” Which was what he had denounced the “willful twelve’ for saying. As Writer Sees It Yet the President had continued to reiterate that he was treading the path of peace even after he broke off diplomatic relations. In his message to Congress on Feb. 26, 1917, he had admitted, “The American people do not deisiro it.” No new issue rose be tween Feb. 26, 1917, and April 2, 1917. For his causes belli, the President himself went back to the German pro clamation of Jan 31. It is clear, then, that Congress did not force the executive into the war or into any of the measures that led to it. It is clear, too, from the Pres ident’s own words, that even after the invasion of Belgium, the sinking of the Lusitania, the complete disregard of freedom of the seas, that the Ame rican people did not force the Presi dent into the war. Did “Wall Street” force the decla ration of war? We shall see. The second article in this series will appear in this newspaper later. l result of her scrutiny, leaned back ! in her chair. I “Are you staying here?” she in , quired. “Well, no, as a matter of fact ; lam not,” said Charles. “A bird of passage, you know. I move about a good deal,” he added airily. “The fact is, I have just run over to settle a small affair for one of my clients. You don’t mind my pipe, do you?” Jacqueline shook her head, smil ing. “It fits the landscape,” she told him. “It looks like Austria even if it smells like London.” Charles grinned. “Hand painted,” he said. “Eight marks. Not dear, was it?” “You get a lot of smoke for your money, anyway,” laughed Jacque line. “Do you often come over?” “Now and then,” said Charles. “I have several "bents who reside in Austria, but, of course, unless it is something very important, I usually send a clerk.” “Clients,” said Jacqueline. “Oh, are you a lawyer?” Charles glanced at her with un concealed admiration. “I say, that’s very clever of you. Clients—lawyer. Yes, I see your train of thought. As a matter of fact, I am a lawyer. Do you mind ?” “Oh, no,” smiled Jacqueline. “It’s the way things happen, you know. If you see a blue-eyed cow in the morning you’re certain to see one in the afternoon. I suppose he’ll turn up today too —the other law yer, I mean.” , Charles frowned slightly. “A friend of yours?” he asked. “I wonder if I know him. I mean —er—most of we lawyers—or should it be ‘us lawyers’ ?—any way, the best-class lawyers, you know—er—meet each other pretty frequently, and quite possibly your friend is a friend of mine.” And then, seeing that Jacqueline was staring at him intently, with a lit tle pucker showing between her eyebrows, he adjusted the set of his Austrian hat and straightened his tie. “Don’t you think I’m like- 1 ly to know him?” She shook her head. “No, I wasn’t thinking that; but I was wondering—Do you go into police courts and defend people?” Charles looked shocked, v “I? My dear child, don’t be ab surd. Police courts! Chancery,' administrating estates, trustees, all that sort of thing. One seldom sees a court; that is a rather vul gar side of one’s practice, which one leaves to one’s managing clerk.” I “Oh. I see,” said Jacqueline.' "Sorry.” (To Be Continued)
Henderson Daily Dispatch (Henderson, N.C.)
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April 3, 1937, edition 1
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