THE WORLD AT THE CROSS ROADS pated what course would be chosen by America had Russia's resistance not been broken by the treason of the Revolution.
BernstorfFs focus of the
departure
for
However, with Count Germany, the main
pro-German influence
at
Washington
had vanished. The new submarine policy adopted by Germany had practically blocked the American merchant marine. Under these circumstances,
for
America
it
became
a
question
of
national honor to break her neutrality and to join the Entente as an equal partner in a common cause.
The long-expected
declaration of
United States came on April
2,
war by the
1917.
President
Wilson's address delivered at a joint session of
the two houses of Congress was accepted by the press and public at large with a feeling of
with a sentiment of gratitude and satisfaction with the fact that America had been relief,
allowed to enter the war at the eleventh hour. public did not give much thought to the wording of Mr. Wilson's address because it
The
was believed that the main object was accomplished and the Chinese wall between America and the outside world had been demolished. It was a time of great hopes, of rosy optimism, of hopeless idealism, of great words which it 152