This is John Patchler, speaking with Neil Lankto, the author of the

approaching Storm Roosevelt Wilson Adams in their clash over America's

future. By 1917 the war was overwhelming in the news and Wilson had come to understand that

not going to the war meant that there was no place in the future for the United States to talk about the world affairs.

Roosevelt had been saying this for years as Neil explains.

Why did Wilson then reverse himself? It's a mystery to be solved. Jane Adams

comes and convinces him that he must be for peace. He must bring peace to the

world. Roosevelt once war. Here's Neil Langto to describe the

dilemma that Wilson faced early in late in 16 early and 17 as the bloodletting went on.

More of this later, and this informs my conversations

with the author, Nick Lloyd, for his book, The Western Front and his follow-up which I've been

just been speaking to him about the Eastern Front watching the slaughter from

America.

Nick allows us to watch it from Europe.

Here's Neil Langto giving the background

of the argument going on in the White House, in Congress, in Roosevelt Circle, certainly in

Jane Adams' circles, late 16, early 17.

I remind you the Declaration of War was early April 1917. Here's Neil. I think he was

still very ambivalent and I think much of the country was ambivalent. Yes, the Germans had behaved very badly. Yes, Americans

had been killed. The question, of course, came, was this a threat to our national security?

I don't think anyone was quite sure how to answer that question. Was this

a threat to our national security?

...