Liberalism: Power, Economic Crisis, Reform, War 89but also posed opportunities. When the fighting began, President Wilson,
because the open door was also an anti-imperialist tactic to gain new markets,
told Americans to be neutral, and he hoped the war would be short. The
hostilities in Europe were making it harder for America to pursue open door
trade, as those continental empires were empires fighting against each other
for land in the Balkans, a situation Lenin predicted years earlier. Wilson’s
“neutrality,” however was never a reality, and America was pro-Allies [the
British and French] from the start. Wilson and his closest advisors admired
the British and U.S. businesses had significant business connections with the
Allies, exporting goods and making record profits. From 1914 to 1916,
American trade with them amounted to $754 million, $1.28 billion, and $2.75
billion; trade with Germany, however, was only $345 million, $29 million, and
$2 million [see graph below]. The Wall Street banking house of J.P. Morgan
also served as an agent for the Allies, negotiating about $3 billion in loans and
trade. American companies also sold vital war supplies to the British and
French, including copper, steel, wheat, oil, and, most importantly, weapons and
ammunition. From an economic point of view, then, it was imperative to the
U.S. that the British and French win the war, so the open door would not be
closed and American investments would not be lost.
Wilson also used international law to help the Allies and harm Germany. As
the war began, the British put mines in the North Sea to prevent ships from
FIGuRE 2-8 united States Exports to the united Kingdom, France and
Germany (1910–1918)