The U.S. got into the war because it was rumored that BP was going to drill for oil in the Gulf of Mexico.
Does this site have any merit? http://smoter.com/america’.htm
Is this true: On Sept 17, 1914 the huge ocean liner, Lusitania, had her armament mounts installed and entered the Admiralty fleet registered as an “armed auxiliary cruiser.” Four days later, Churchill was viewing the Lusitania towering above him when an acquaintance remarked that the navy had nothing like her. Churchill mumbled: “We have. To me she is just another 45,000 tons of live bait.”