Paper Summary:

This paper discusses that both President Woodrow Wilson and labor agitator Eugene Debs made important speeches as WWI began. However, the law was not as tolerant of free speech then as it is today. The paper reports that Wilson, in his speech to Congress, emphasized that he was not seeking revenge even though Germany was attacking American ships, but rather saw America's entry into the war as a means of defense; armed neutrality was no longer possible. The author explains that Eugene Debs, Socialist Party candidate for president, made his speech to a group of working people, opposing the war and claimed it was just one more example of the way the working class is exploited by the capitalist. He was imprisoned for this speech.

From the Paper:

"Wilson is also clear about what this move will involve--the need for funding, the need to gather large numbers of troops, the need to organize the resources of the country, the need to get the people to support the war, and so on. He is taking the first step by gaining the support of Congress, after which he and members of Congress will have to garner support from the public. Wilson goes into other aspects of his decision that he believes are important, such as indicating that the war is with the leaders of Germany and not the German people, that the primary concern is for peace, and that this is the beginning of a new age. Interestingly, he also points to the Russian Revolution, then only a few weeks old, as evidence of a new democratic spirit, showing either that the Russian Revolution changed directions after this or that Wilson misconceived what was taking place there."

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