10. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Russia1
21112. For Sisson from Creel: Emphasize following points in all publicity work. Stop. Give them to your writers and speakers and drive them home in every possible manner:
I. That the United States has no other motive in waging war against the German Government than to overthrow autocracy and to protect democracy from the intrigue and physical might which threatens it.
II. That it is folly to believe that the United States would give thousands of lives and expend billions of dollars in prosecution of a war for commercial advantages, which, even without considering the loss of life and the consequent weakening of the industrial power of the republic, could not for decades compensate the nation for the sums expended in carrying on the war.
III. That the United States, if a German victory would not be a deadly menace to its own independence and free institutions and to those of other democratic nations, could have remained neutral in the war and through commerce and industry accumulated vast wealth and become the great financial power in the world.
IV. That the capitalists of the United States would have acted without reason and contrary to their interests to have favored a war for the sake of insuring a few hundred millions of debts due them by the Entente Governments when the war would impose billions upon the United States, which would have to be paid by taxes of which the great bulk would be collected from these same capitalists, whose business enterprises would be disorganized and jeopardized by war.
V. That the entry of the United States into the war against its financial and industrial interests is certain evidence that it considered its own and the world’s democracy in grave peril from Prussian aggression, particularly the newly arisen democracy of Russia.
VI. That every class of the population in the United States and every political party are solidly behind the Government in pressing the war through to a victorious conclusion regardless of cost in life or treasure. COMPUB.
- Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Decimal File 1910–1929, Box 736, 103.9302/12a. No classification marking. Marked “Seen” by Alvey Adee on January 23. Patchin initialed the telegram.↩