威尔逊(1856～1924年)

Wilson, (Thomas) Woodrow

第二十八任美国总统。毕业於普林斯顿大学，後获约翰.霍普金斯大学博士学位。1890～1902回普林斯顿学院教授法学和政治经济，後任该校校长（1902～1910）。在校长任内，进行多项改革。1910年竞选新泽西州州长成功。在该州的政绩受到全国的注意，遂於1912年被提名为民主党总统候选人。竞选中他提出「新自由」的口号以压倒共和党总统老罗斯福的「新国家主义」（主张国家对企业多加干预），当选为总统。担任总统期间，促使国会通过一系列新的法律︰降低关税税率，建立联邦准备系统，设立联邦贸易委员会，强化工人组织。在外交上，他反对大国欺凌小国，尊重弱国的权益，如对菲律宾逐步给予自治地位等。1914年第一次世界大战期间他仍努力保持美国中立的地位，并致力於调停战争。但在「卢西塔尼亚号」（1915）和其他非武装船只被德国潜艇击沈後，1916年他向德国提出最後通牒式的照会，以最强硬态度迫使德国放弃了潜艇战略。1917年德国突然恢复无限制的潜艇战略，美国乃对德宣战。1918年1月他提出「公正和持久和平」的十四点和平纲领。最後德国战败，这个方案便成了协约国与德国和谈的基础。共和党占优势的国会对他带回的「凡尔赛条约」草案持保留态度。他旅行全国发表演说，为维护和约与国际联盟吁请公众的支持。但因身体状况不佳，中途折返华盛顿特区时，突然患脑血栓半身不遂。11月参议院决定修改和约，病中的威尔逊坚持要求诉诸民意。由公民投票决定和约的命运。结果是提出国际联盟原则的美国，战後却没有参加这个组织。1920年总统选举，民主党失败，他的理想主义进一步破灭。1919年获诺贝尔和平奖。

English version：

1856～1924年

Wilson, (Thomas) Woodrow

28th president of the U.S. (1913-21). Born in Staunton, Va., he earned a law degree and later received his doctorate from Johns Hopkins University. He taught political science at Princeton University. 1890-1902. As its president (1902-10), he introduced various reforms. With the support of progressives, he was elected governor of New Jersey. His reform measures attracted national attention, and he became the Democratic presidential nominee in 1912. His campaign emphasized the progressive measures of his New Freedom policy, and he defeated Theodore Roosevelt and William H. Taft to win the presidency. As president, he approved legislation that lowered tariffs, created the Federal Reserve System, established the Federal Trade Commission, and strengthened labor unions. In foreign affairs he promoted self-government for the Philippines and sought to contain the Mexican civil war. From 1914 he maintained U.S. neutrality in World War I, offering to mediate a settlement and initiate peace negotiations. After the sinking of the Lusitania (1915) and other unarmed ships, he obtained a pledge from Germany to stop its submarine campaign. Campaigning on the theme that he had “kept us out of war,” he was narrowly reelected in 1916, defeating Charles Evans Hughes. Germany's renewed submarine attacks on unarmed passenger ships caused Wilson to ask for a declaration of war in April 1917. In a continuing effort to negotiate a peace agreement, he presented the Fourteen Points (1918). He led the U.S. delegation to the Paris Peace Conference, where he attempted to stand on his original principles but was forced to compromise by the demands of various countries. The Treaty of Versailles faced opposition in the Senate from the Republican majority led by Henry C. Lodge. In search of popular support for the treaty and its League of Nations, Wilson began a cross-country speaking tour, but he collapsed and returned to Washington, D.C. (September 1919), where a stroke left him partially paralyzed. He rejected any attempts to compromise his version of the League of Nations and urged his Senate followers to vote against ratification of the treaty, which was defeated in 1920. He was awarded the 1919 Nobel Peace Prize.