America in World War 1 (4)

American statesmen were seriously concerned at threats of this kind,
for they knew that the government in power at Berlin could absolutely
command its people, and by forbidding certain kinds of news and
substituting other things in the German newspapers could make the
German people think anything which the war lords wished them to think.
Thus there was great danger that, having won the war from the Entente
or having stood them off successfully until the fight was declared a
draw, Germany would next attack the United States with the idea of
collecting from this comparatively defenseless and very rich country
the huge indemnity which she had planned to assess upon France and
Russia. With this money and with the breaking down of the Monroe
Doctrine, Germany could set up a great empire in South America which
would make her almost as powerful as she would have been had her first
plans for crushing France and Russia been successful.

You will recall, from your study of United States history, that
President Monroe had warned European governments to keep their hands
off South America, for the United States would act as big brother to
any of the little republics there who might be attacked by a European
foe. Germany in recent years has resented this very vigorously. There
were nearly half a million Germans in the southern part of Brazil.
Uruguay and the Argentine Republic also had large German settlements.
If the Monroe Doctrine were out of the way, Germany hoped that she
would be able to get a footing in these countries in which she had
colonists and gradually to gain control of the entire country. In the
fall of 1917 there was uncovered a plot among the German residents of
certain states in the southern part of Brazil to make this territory a
part of the German Colonial Empire. This discovery, along with the
sinking of Brazilian ships by submarines, drove Brazil into war with
Germany.

To sum up: The United States entered the war: first, because German
submarines were killing her peaceful citizens and stopping her lawful
trade; second, because paid agents of the German government were
destroying American property in the United States, killing American
citizens, and creating discord in our political life; they were
pretending to be friendly and yet were trying to enlist Japan and
Mexico in war against us; third, for the reason that because of
Germany's threats and her well-known policy in South America there was
grave danger that it would be our turn next if the central powers
should come out of the European war uncrushed.

The American government has made it plain that we are not moved by any
desire for gain for ourselves. We have nothing to win through the war
except the assurance that our nation will be safe. If Germany had a
government which the people controlled, then the United States could
trust promises of that government. But, as President Wilson has
pointed out, no one can trust the present government of Germany, for
it is responsible to no one for what it does. It has torn up sacred
promises, which its Chancellor called "scraps of paper"; it has broken
its word; it has ordered "acts of frightfulness" in the lands which it
has conquered and on the high seas, with the idea of brutally forcing
its will upon enemies and neutral countries alike. It has deceived its
own people, persuading them that they were attacked by France and
Russia, while all the time it was plotting to rule the world through
force of arms.

President Wilson said that the object of the United States in this
war is "to make the world safe for democracy." This means that a free
people, who have no desire to interfere with any of their neighbors or
to make conquests by force of arms, shall be allowed to live their
lives without preparation for war and without fear that they may be
attacked by a nation with military rulers.