Existing comment:
William Allen Rogers Comments on American Neutrality
Responding to President Wilson's proclamation of strict neutrality on August 4, 1914, editorial cartoonist William Allen Rogers portrayed Uncle Sam trapped and unable to move by the chevaux de frise of bayonets. While Wilson believed his leadership called for neutrality during the Great War, his policies paralyzed government officials who needed to control shipping, troop movements, and the rescue of Americans from Europe. On July 28, 1914, days before this cartoon was published, the Austro-Hungarian government declared war on Serbia and the European continent quickly became embroiled in war. |