U.S. Neutrality Proclamation, August 6, 1914 | State Historical Society of Iowa

The article above was a transcription of the US Neutrality Proclamation that ran in an issue of the Ottumwa Tri-Weekly Courier.

Courtesy of Library of Congress, "U.S. Neutrality Proclamation," Ottumwa Tri-Weekly Courier, 6 August 1914

Description

This article from the Ottumwa Tri-Weekly Courier is a reprinting of the U.S. Neutrality Proclamation at the start of World War I in Europe. The proclamation outlines President Woodrow Wilson’s acts to preserve the neutrality of the United States.

Transcript of the U.S. Neutrality Proclamation

Printable Excerpt of U.S. Neutrality Proclamation

Source-Dependent Questions

As a neutral nation, why was it possible to "lawfully and without restriction … manufacture or sell within the U.S. arms and ammunition and other articles known as contraband of war" but yet not acceptable to "carry" armaments overseas?
Why was a declaration of neutrality placed in the middle of the newspaper next to the obituaries? What was communicated by its placement about Iowans' beliefs at the beginning of World War I?

Citation Information

"U.S. Neutrality Proclamation," Ottumwa Tri-Weekly Courier, 6 August 1914. Courtesy of Library of Congress