The anti-war cartoon pictured here, entitled ‘The Deserter’, appeared in 1916 when the USA had not yet entered World War I. It depicted Jesus facing a firing squad made up of soldiers from five different European countries who were involved in the conflict.
Understandably, for most of its history, the USA has attempted
to remain neutral rather than become involved in European wars. George
Washington’s final message to the nation continued to resonate with Americans. ‘The great rule of conduct for
us, in regard to foreign nations, is, in extending our commercial relations, to
have with them as little political connexion as possible,’ he had written in
his ‘Farewell Address’ of 1796.
When World War I broke out in 1914, support for neutrality
remained strong among Americans, particularly ethnic Germans and members of
Irish families resentful of British rule in Ireland.
Pacifist groups such as the Woman’s Peace Party and the
American Union Against Militarism (AUAM) were founded in 1915 to protest against
the USA’s entry into the European war.
‘The Deserter’ was first published in The Masses, an
American magazine of socialist politics
which appeared monthly between 1911 and 1917, when it was forced to close. The cartoon was the work of Boardman
Robinson, a Canadian-born American artist whose anti-war views were shared by the
communist journalist John Reed, a fellow-contributor to The Masses. In 1915 the pair had travelled to Europe, recording
the chaotic events and atrocities taking place in Russia, Serbia, Macedonia and
Greece for the book The War in Eastern Europe which was published the
following year.
The USA finally abandoned neutrality and entered the
European conflict in 1917.
Readers curious about Massachusetts' 400-year-old link with Budleigh via Roger Conant will be fascinated to learn that Edward Thurstan, a former Budleigh resident, played
a crucial role in shaping American policy and, in the words of local historian
Roger Lendon, ‘probably had a hand in one of the most significant events to
occur in World War I’.
In January 1917, the German Foreign Minister Arthur Zimmermann sent a top secret telegram in code which made it clear that Mexico would receive financial support if it attacked the USA, and would regain the states of Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona.
Edward Thurstan, as British Chargé d’Affaires in Mexico City, saw that a copy of the intercepted and deciphered telegram was sent to London. It was then passed to the US ambassador in London who sent it to President Woodrow Wilson.
On 1 March 1917, the Zimmermann telegram was released
to the American press. The ensuing public outcry was one of the factors that
eventually led to the declaration of war against Germany by the US Congress on
6 April 1917.
Photo of Boardman Robinson from Wikipedia
If you are interested in the history of early America, and Roger Conant as a peacemaker in troubled times you can join the Devon Peacemaker Festival Facebook group at
