America and the World War

America and the World War is Theodore Roosevelt's bracing wartime defense of national preparedness, moral clarity, and what he calls a "peace of righteousness." Framed by William Samuel Johnson's "Prayer for Peace," it confronts the terrible cost of modern war while rejecting the illusion that peace can survive without courage, justice, and strength. Roosevelt responds to President Wilson's 1914 message and the horrors of World War I with a hard-edged argument: treaties, neutrality, and good intentions mean little unless backed by force. Through essays on Belgium's suffering, the invasion of Luxembourg, and the weakness of paper promises, he condemns pacifism as dangerous complacency. He urges a strong army and navy, universal military training, and a readiness to defend national rights, the Panama Canal, and the freedom of smaller nations. Drawing on examples such as Switzerland and Australia, he presents disciplined preparedness as both a civic duty and a moral safeguard. The result is a patriotic, philosophical call to action for a stronger, more responsible America. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.