By the fall of 1914 the Royal navy had declared the North Sea a war zone, stategically mined it and told all neutral nations that their ships must put into British ports for inspection and confiscation of proscribed cargo. Failure to surrender to this British demand, would, at the very least, subject neutral shipping to indiscriminate sinking in the British mine fields. As leader of the most powerful and affected “neutral” nation did Wilson protest this? Was the US Navy sent to clear mines and escort American merchantmen in order to carry on American trade and assert American sovereigty and neutrality?
Nope and nope.