The Real Issue
The real issue, however, should not be clouded by paragraphs taken here and there from the newspapers of either Senator Harding or Governor Cox. The truth is that both of these men at that time stood for neutrality, as did some of the prominent Senators who afterwards so violently talked patriotism. Furthermore, both Mr. Cox and Mr. Harding were rightfully backed in their opinions by a large mass of thoughtful people throughout the land.
From August 4, 1914, up to a short time before the United States entered the war, there was a very strong feeling among the liberal people of this country that the fight was primarily between England and Germany, and the stakes were primarily the world’s trade and commerce. Before the war England controlled the seas; Germany was continually chafing more and more at this control and she finally broke forth into the world war to seize this control from England. No right-thinking people backed Germany in her designs, but a great many good people felt as Jesus did when a mother of Israel came to him regarding securing inheritances for her son.
As the war progressed and German brutality increased, the great mass of American people, including Governor Cox, Senator Harding and many others of us, saw that another factor was developing which overshadowed the economic factor. When two dogs are fighting over a bone, a sensible man will keep out of the fight; but when either one of the dogs becomes so vicious as to bite a by-stander, then it is up to all good people to pounce upon the vicious dog and put him out of business. This was the situation which brought us into the war. It is well enough for bombastic orators to now say that America should have entered the war just as soon as Germany violated Belgium, but the simple fact is that no power under Heaven could have got the American people to have entered the war at that time. Furthermore, it was only the changed conditions which caused the American people to enter the conflict.