Trains Bearing Wounded Remind Her of Slaughter House As Blood Drips Down Continually

Text

Excerpts of her interview include horrifying images, including, “Some were dead, others dying, all had frightening wounds, and the sight was sickening indeed. Those among the soldiers who showed signs of vitality, were hastily moved forward, their bandages jerked from the gaping wounds, the antiseptics applied.” At this time, the United States was not involved in the war, wanting to remain neutral, and LaBanca’s experience is a great example of the isolationist sentiment throughout the U.S. Mrs. LaBanca, along with most Americans at the time, had differing views on which countries in Europe to support during World War I, and their support was often based on their backgrounds, but most agreed that the United States joining the war would not benefit the country.

World War I officially began on June 28, 1914, when a group of men from the movement of Young Bosnia assassinated Franz Ferdinand (the Archduke of Austria-Hungary), in Sarajevo, hoping to free Bosnia of Austro-Hungarian rule. The men were armed by a Serbian extremist group known as the Black Hand, which led Austria-Hungary to declare war on Serbia, with other European countries taking sides. The United States was hesitant to take a stance, and wanted to remain neutral for as long as possible. Even though the country was not sending troops in the first couple of years of the war, the U.S. aided the Allies (which consisted of the United Kingdom, France, and Russia), and most Americans sided with them as well, although some sided with the Central Powers (consisting of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire). But if you want one central opinion of what Americans thought of World War I, it can be difficult to view it as monolithic. JSTOR Daily explains in its article What Americans Thought of WWI, “American public opinion” was no more universal in 1917 than it is today.” Still, the American president during the conflict, Woodrow Wilson, remained firm on the country’s position of neutrality, stating in a speech given on August 19, 1914, “Speak a solemn word of warning to you against that deepest, most subtle, most essential breach of neutrality which may spring out of partisanship, out of passionately taking sides. The United States must be neutral in fact as well as in name during these days that are to try men's souls.”

As stated above, most Americans sided with the allies, but Irish-Americans, and most notably German-Americans, were placed in a more difficult position. Regarding the region of Missouri, authors William E. Parrish, Charles T. Jones Jr., and Lawrence O. Christensen write in their book Missouri: The Heart of the Nation, that, “With over 350,000 residents of German birth or parentage and more than 100,000 of Irish background, Missouri had many citizens who sympathized with the German cause. An even larger number of Missourians had cultural ties with the Allies, however, and blamed Germany for the war. Despite these feelings, few Missourians wanted the United States to enter the conflict in 1914,” (290).

Many German-Americans faced discrimination during the war, and the community did not hold a universal opinion. Some supported their home country, and believed that the reports of German brutality were propped up by the British, and some supported the United States and its neutrality during the conflict. On February 4, 1916, the Louisiana Press-Journal, based in Missouri, published an article with the following headline, “Would Be Neutral Citizen of U.S.: Applicant for Citizenship Says He Came Here For Peace–Explains Answer Satisfactorily.” The article gives the account of a German immigrant named A. H. Beitmann, who was applying for American citizenship and prompted by the judge if he would support the U.S. if it went to war. Beitmann replied with, “If there should be a war between the United States and Germany, I’d be neutral.” The article explains, “He said that what he meant to say was that he naturally would not want to fight against his relatives in Germany, but that if the United States were invaded he would aid in its defense. He said that he came to this country to escape the militarism of Germany because he believed this to be a peaceful nation.” This quote exemplifies the views held by many German-Americans at the time, wanting to remain neutral, and often wanting to side with the United States, hoping it would show better moral character than that of Germany during World War I.

The people carried their views of neutrality into the presidential election of 1916. Woodrow Wilson was the incumbent Democratic candidate, and his opponent was Republican Supreme Court Justice Charles Evans Hughes. Wilson’s campaign ran on the slogan of “He Kept Us Out of War” and according to The American Presidency Project, he won the election with 277 electoral votes, with Hughes gaining 254. In Missouri, Wilson won with 50.6% percent of the popular vote, taking all of Missouri’s 18 electoral votes. This was also the second election in which Americans could vote for their senators along with their representatives. Missouri voted in Democratic candidate James A. Reed, who was also opposed to entering in the war. Missouri’s other senator, William J. Stone was famous for his stance on neutrality, even not wanting to aid the Allies. Parrish, Jones, and Christensen note in Missouri: The Heart of the Nation, that also, “In September 1915, United States bankers loaned the Allies $500 million. Missouri’s senior United States senator, William J. Stone, chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, questioned the neutrality of making such a loan. He observed that financial investment on one side might lead to America’s having too vital an interest in that side’s success,” (291). This demonstrates that for most Missourians, they wanted to vote for politicians who favored their interests to keep the United States out of the war.

By 1917, the country had finally declared war on Germany, joining the Allies, after Germany sank 10 merchant ships that carried American passengers, plus the country sending the infamous “Zimmermann Telegram” where Germany asked Mexico to form an alliance if the U.S. were to enter the war against Germany. At this point, many Americans finally supported the country going to war, although hesitantly, hoping the victory would be swift. Still, Missouri Senator William J. Stone did not agree, and in Missouri: Heart of the Nation, the authors describe that, “Congress approved Wilson’s request for war, but Senator William J. Stone joined five other senators in voting against it; they were joined by fifty members of the House of Representatives, including four of Missouri’s sixteen representatives,” (292). According to Missouri’s Secretary of State’s Military Records, “Nearly 750,000 Missouri men registered for the draft. Over 156,000 served in all branches of the armed forces and more than 10,000 were wounded or killed in action.” The war would eventually end on November 11, 1918, with an armistice signed, and the Treaty of Versaille being signed in 1919, which largely put the blame on Germany and required them to pay most of the war reparations, as well as be disarmed. The Twice-A-Week-Times based out of Louisiana, Missouri published its celebratory headline on November 12, 1918, stating that, “Peace at last. Early this morning the nation began celebrating the greatest day in American history, the end of the world wide war. One that will go down in the annals of the world as the most inhuman and bloodiest.”

Many Missourians in the local area had diverse views on if they wanted to support the Allies or the Central Powers, which was often based on their national origin, but most agreed that they did not want to go overseas. Looking at newspapers from the era can give you great insight on the range of perspectives. On December 31, 1914, the Louisiana Press-Journal in Missouri published an anonymous opinion reading, “The United States is trying hard to remain neutral in the scrimmage across the water, but if England keeps on monkeying with American commerce on the high seas, Uncle Sam will get off of the fence and it won’t be on England’s side of the fence either.” Juxtaposing another opinion published in the same newspaper on November 4, 1915, with an anonymous opinion stating, “Everytime a leg is shot off in Europe an American factory furnishes a wooden one to take its place. Who wouldn’t be neutral?”

It can be inferred that most Americans knew that if the U.S. took a side, there would be people angry because of the country’s multiple ethnic and cultural backgrounds. When the country finally got involved in Europe, Americans were patriotic, wanting to destroy the Germans, but hoped that the war would not drag on. Even Laura Alice Benoit LaBanca noted in her interview that Europeans wanted the war to end, explaining, “That in Germany, France, and in Switzerland, though the latter, of course, feels only incidental effects, the people are weary of the war, and would hail with joy the commencement of peace, almost at any cost. First the German sentiment was one of enthusiasm in which they confidently expected to conquer all of their enemies, but that now the sentiment seems to be that of holding their own territory and obtaining an equal chance obtaining at the close of the war.” World War I is now often viewed as a short period in U.S. history, especially compared to other wars, but the era can give us a better understanding of the multiple ethnic, religious, and cultural groups and their views, particularly in relation to immigration, and how the idea of one single “American” nationality was formed. The major opinion of Americans at this time can be summed up perfectly by an anonymous person who stated on July 22, 1915 in The Bowling Green Times (based out of Missouri) that, “We got sparrow and “Fawncy” pronunciation from England; we got the carp, Hessian Fly and limburger cheese from Germany; we heired from France the slit skirt, the tight and near no-skirt-at-all; from Russia we get anarchy and unpronounceable names that produce lockjaw; from Vienna we got pulverized pup in pigskin, yclept sausage; from Italy we have the black hand, organ and monkey and from Turkey we have the Harem trousers so full in the seat that they look like sister has moved out of ‘em and the brand of cigarettes that emits odor that is a cross between shoeing a horse and the preresurrected Lazarus. So why shouldn’t we be neutral?”

“August 19, 1914: Message on Neutrality.” Miller Center, https://millercenter.org/the-presidency/presidential-speeches/august-19-1914-message-neutrality. Accessed 12 March 2025.

“Mrs. LaBanca Back From Europe Says People Want Peace: She Tells of Her Trip Through France Trains Bearing Wounded Remind Her of Slaughter House As Blood Drips Down Continually.” St. Charles News-Banner [St. Charles, Missouri], 51 ed., no. 48, 24 June 1915, p. 1, https://basic.newspapers.com/image/953548052/?terms=From%20Europe%20Says%20People%20Want%20Peace. Accessed 21 January 2025.

Reedy, William.  “Why I Am For Wilson.” The Louisiana Press-Journal [Louisiana, Missouri], no. 62, 2 November 1916, https://basic.newspapers.com/image/1031067582/. Accessed 7 February 2025. Second Inaugural Address of Woodrow Wilson. New Haven, Yale Law School, 2008, https://avalon.law.yale.edu/20th_century/wilson2.asp. Accessed 23 January 2025.

“Thursday, December 31, 1914.” The Louisiana Press-Journal [Louisiana, Missouri], 60 ed., no. 25, 31 December 1914, https://basic.newspapers.com/image/1031210819/. Accessed 12 March 2025.

“Thursday, November 4, 1915.” The Louisiana Press-Journal [Louisiana, Missouri], 61 ed., no. 17, 4 November 1915, https://basic.newspapers.com/image/1031211826/. Accessed 12 March 2025.

“War Ends! Whole Nation Wild With Excitement! Old Louisiana Goes Wildy "Over Top" In Celebrating. Fighting Has Ceased. Awful Rioting in Germany. Kaiser and Kin Flee to Holland. Republic Will Be Formed. America Wins the War.” The Twice-A-Week Times [Louisiana, Missouri], 21 ed., no. 91, 12 November 1918, https://basic.newspapers.com/image/1031495912/?match=1&terms=war. Accessed 12 March 2025.

“Why We Are Neutral.” The Bowling Green Times [Bowling Green, Missouri], no. 51, 22 July 1915, https://basic.newspapers.com/image/1030620324/. Accessed 5 February 2025.

“World War I Military Service Cards: A Brief History.” Missouri's Digital Heritage, Missouri Secretary of State, https://www.sos.mo.gov/archives/soldiers/ww1history#:~:text=World%20War%20I%20Military%20Service%20Cards%3A%20A%20Brief%20History&text=Nearly%20750%2C000%20Missouri%20men%20registered,of%20service%20during%20the%20war. Accessed 12 March 2025.

“Would Be Neutral Citizen of U.S.: Applicant for Citizenship Says He Came Here For Peace–Explains Answer Satisfactorily.” The Louisiana Press-Journal [Louisiana, Missouri], no. 30, 3 February 1916, https://basic.newspapers.com/image/1031064721/. Accessed 6 February 2025.

Secondary:

“Election: 1916.” President Wilson House, 19 November 2020, https://woodrowwilsonhouse.org/election-1916/. Accessed 6 February 2025. Fraunfelter, Paul C. “A Sudden Belligerent.” Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/collections/world-war-i-sheet-music/articles-and-essays/americas-war-as-viewed-by-publishers-and-the-public/a-sudden-belligerent/#note2. Accessed 22 January 2025.

Gershon, Livia. “What Americans Thought of WWI.” JSTOR Daily, 4 April 2017, https://daily.jstor.org/what-americans-thought-of-wwi/. Accessed 22 January 2025.

Parrish, William E., et al. Missouri: The Heart of the Nation. Third ed., Wheeling, Illinois, Harlan Davidson, Inc., 1980. Wustenbecker, Katja.

“German-Americans during World War I.” Immigrant Entrepreneurship, German Historical Institute, 22 August 2018, https://www.immigrantentrepreneurship.org/entries/german-americans-during-world-war-i/. Accessed 12 March 2025.