Secretary of the Treasury McAdoo to President Wilson, 21 August 1915 Great Britain is, and always has been, our best customer. Since the war began, her purchases and those of her Allies (France, Russia, and Italy) have enormously increased. Food products constitute the greater part of these purchases, but war munitions, which as you know embrace not only arms and ammunition, but saddles, horses, and mules and a variety of other things, are a big item. The high prices for food products have brought great prosperity to our farmers, while the purchases of war munitions have stimulated industry and have set factories going to full capacity throughout the great manufacturing districts, while the reduction of imports and their actual cessation in some cases, have caused new industries to spring up and others to be enlarged. Great Prosperity is coming. It is in large measure here already. It will be tremendously increased if we can extend reasonable credits to our customers. . . . Our prosperity is dependent on our continued and enlarged foreign trade. To preserve that we must do everything we can to assist our customers to buy. We have repeatedly declared that it is lawful for our citizens to manufacture and sell to belligerents munitions of war. It is lawful commerce and being lawful is entitled to the same treatment at the hands of our bankers, in financing it, as our other part of lawful commerce. . . .

Question

Secretary of the Treasury McAdoo to President Wilson, 21 August 1915 Great Britain is, and always has been, our best customer. Since the war began, her purchases and those of her Allies (France, Russia, and Italy) have enormously increased. Food products constitute the greater part of these purchases, but war munitions, which as you know embrace not only arms and ammunition, but saddles, horses, and mules and a variety of other things, are a big item. The high prices for food products have brought great prosperity to our farmers, while the purchases of war munitions have stimulated industry and have set factories going to full capacity throughout the great manufacturing districts, while the reduction of imports and their actual cessation in some cases, have caused new industries to spring up and others to be enlarged. Great Prosperity is coming. It is in large measure here already. It will be tremendously increased if we can extend reasonable credits to our customers. . . . Our prosperity is dependent on our continued and enlarged foreign trade. To preserve that we must do everything we can to assist our customers to buy. We have repeatedly declared that it is lawful for our citizens to manufacture and sell to belligerents munitions of war. It is lawful commerce and being lawful is entitled to the same treatment at the hands of our bankers, in financing it, as our other part of lawful commerce. . . .

Question Use the excerpt to answer the question. For the Secretary of the Treasury McAdoo, the sale of ammunition to belligerents (1 point)

Responses
was compatible with neutrality.
was not a good business proposition.
carried too much ethical weight for the nation.
could hopefully bring the war to an end more quickly.

Answer 1