"President Wilson's Historical Message, Part III" [Excerpt 1]
by President Woodrow Wilson
Pin courtesy of Clarence Johnson |
"We have no quarrel with the German people," begins this excerpt from Wilson's historic speech before Congress, which Wilson recorded for the obscure Patria label. However, as he put the U.S. on its war footing, the quarrel with anything German-influenced became apparent. The German renouncement of their Lusitania pledge in favor of resumption of open, unlimited submarine warfare, and the interception of the Zimmerman communication were both central to Wilson's reluctant decision to take the United States to war. And the disreputable, outlaw nature perceived in both events, furthermore, did nothing to significantly allay American distrust of German-Americans in particular and all "hyphenated-Americans" in general. The song writers were busy throughout the war, reminding the immigrants and their antagonists that the problem had not gone away. The declaration of war, in fact, increased the social and political pressure on the immigrants to conform and declare their loyalties. After the declaration of war, to speak anything but support of Wilson and the government was tantamount to treason, and the newly minted Espionage Act did nothing to ease American paranoia. Additionally, with the war came the first and second draft of the Act and all citizens were expected to stand for it without question.
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