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The Foreign Policy of Woodrow Wilson, 1913-1917 (1917)
The Foreign Policy of Woodrow Wilson 19131917 - 1917 Author:Edgar Eugene Robinson Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: impression that its character had made abroad as well as at home that stood as a matter of history when the European war broke upon the world and gave Presid... more »ent Wilson the leadership of the American people in the greatest crisis of their history. chapter{Section 4 CHAPTER III Maintenance Of Neutrality Outbreak of the European War -- Initial Position of the United States -- Meaning of Neutrality -- Attitude upon British Policy -- Plans of the Administration -- Difficulties with Germany -- American Proposal for Modus Vivendi -- Duties of the United States -- Result of American Adherence to Rules of International Law -- Possibility of an International Tribunal. Upon the outbreak of the European war the President, as was expected, issued a proclamation of neutrality, and followed it by a statement to the belligerent governments that he would welcome an opportunity to act in the interest of European peace, at that or any future time. Of more vital significance in view of the developments soon to appear, the United States sent an identic note to the several powers on August 6, 1914, in which attention was called to the differences of opinion as to the rights of neutrals on the sea and the proposal was made that for the duration of the war, the laws of naval warfare laid down in the Declaration of London be accepted by all nations.1 In making this suggestion the administration took the basic position it was to occupy in the ensuing months of diplomatic controversy. 1 Official correspondence relative to the Declaration of London was published by Department of State, Diplomatic Correspondence with Belligerent Governments Relating to Neutral Rights and Commerce, European War Series, No. I, pp. 5-8. The Declaration of London had been formulated at a...« less