Читать книгу Mennonites in the World War - Jonas Smucker Hartzler - Страница 45

For a time the United States was not involved, but she was too influential to be left in quietude. Complaints came from both sides of the conflict asking President Wilson to use his "good offices" to get the other side to cease its injustice. There was a cry for humane warfare, but almost with the same breath came Germany's "Schrecklichkeit," which implied that she expected to terrify the enemy. She committed insults at sea against other nations without considering whether they were neutral or foe. Many people became jealous of America's national honor, and frequently in the halls of congress, in the pulpits, and in common conversation came cries for war and revenge. On the other hand, there were a great many people who were seriously opposed to this country allowing itself to be drawn into the struggle. In 1916, the Presidential election came on, and one of the favorite expressions of the campaign waa, "Vote for Wilson; he kept us out of war." Many ascribe his re-election to that claim.