Extremely sensitive to American opinion,but ill informed about it,the German government soon began systematic efforts to present its cause to the people of the United States in the most favorable light possible.Dr.Bernhard Dernburg,the former colonial secretary of the German empire,was sent to America as a special agent.For months he filled the newspapers,magazines,and periodicals with interviews,articles,and notes on the justice of the Teutonic cause.From a press bureau in New York flowed a stream of pamphlets,leaflets,and cartoons.A magazine,"The Fatherland,"was founded to secure "fair play for Germany and Austria."Several professors in American universities,who had received their training in Germany,took up the pen in defense of the Central Empires.The German language press,without exception it seems,the National German Alliance,minor German societies,and Lutheran churches came to the support of the German cause.Even the English language papers,though generally favorable to the Entente Allies,opened their columns in the interest of equal justice to the spokesmen for all the contending powers of Europe.
Before two weeks had elapsed the controversy had become so intense that President Wilson （August 18,1914）was moved to caution his countrymen against falling into angry disputes."Every man,"he said,"who really loves America will act and speak in the true spirit of neutrality which is the spirit of impartiality and fairness and friendliness to all concerned....We must be impartial in thought as well as in action,must put a curb upon our sentiments as well as upon every transaction that might be construed as a preference of one party to the struggle before another."
The Clash over American Trade.-As in the time of the Napoleonic wars,the conflict in Europe raised fundamental questions respecting rights of Ameri-cans trading with countries at peace as well as those at war.On this point there existed on August 1,1914,a fairly definite body of principles by which nations were bound.Among them the following were of vital significance.In the first place,it was recognized that an enemy merchant ship caught on the high seas was a legitimate prize of war which might be seized and confiscated.In the sec-ond place,it was agreed that "contraband of war"found on an enemy or neutral ship was a lawful prize;any ship suspected of carrying it was liable to search and if caught with forbidden goods was subject to seizure.In the third place,international law prescribed that a peaceful merchant ship,whether belonging to an enemy or to a neutral country,should not be destroyed or sunk without provision for the safety of crew and passengers.In the fourth place,it was un-derstood that a belligerent had the right,if it could,to blockade the ports of an enemy and prevent the ingress and egress of all ships;but such a blockade,to be lawful,had to be effective.
These general principles left undetermined two important matters:"What is an effective blockade?"and "What is contraband of war?"The task of answering these questions fell to Great Britain as mistress of the seas.Although the German submarines made it impossible for her battleships to maintain a continuous patrol of the waters in front of blockaded ports,she declared the blockade to be none the less "effective"because her navy was supreme.As to contraband of war Great Britain put such a broad interpretation upon the term as to include nearly every important article of commerce.Early in 1915she declared even cargoes of grain and flour to be contraband,defending the action on the ground that the German government had recently taken possession of all domestic stocks of corn,wheat,and flour.
A new question arose in connection with American trade with the neutral countries surrounding Germany.Great Britain early began to intercept ships carrying oil,gasoline,and copper-all war materials of prime importance-on the ground that they either were destined ultimately to Germany orwould release goods for sale to Germans.On November 2,1914,the English government announced that the Germans wore sowing mines in open waters and that therefore the whole of the North Sea was a military zone.Ships bound for Denmark,Norway,and Sweden were ordered to come by the English Channel for inspection and sailing directions.In effect,Americans were now licensed by Great Britain to trade in certain commodities and in certain amounts with neutral countries.
Against these extraordinary measures,the State Department at Washington lodged pointed objections,saying:"This government is reluctantly forced to the conclusion that the present policy of His Majesty's government toward neutral ships and cargoes exceeds the manifest necessity of a belligerent and constitutes restrictions upon the rights of American citizens on the high seas,which are not justified by the rules of international law or required under the principle of self-preservation."