Despite Wilson's rhetoric of freedom and democracy, there were restrictions placed on freedom during World War I. Explain how and why.

Despite Woodrow Wilson’s rhetoric of freedom and democracy after the atrocities of World War I, he signed legislation into law that placed restrictions on freedoms and civil liberties before the end of the war. The Espionage Act of 1917 and the Sedition Act of 1918 effectively criminalized speaking out against the government, conveying false reports or false statements with an intent to sabotage an American military operation, and using disloyal and profane language about a form of government in the United States.
After World War I, leaders from Allied nations met at Versailles, France, to draft the Treaty of Versailles in an effort to bring stability to Europe. When the “Big Four” (David Lloyd of England, Georges Clemenceau of France, Vittorio Orlando of Italy, and Woodrow Wilson of the United States) met at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919 to discuss the provisions of the treaty, Wilson was vocal about his desire be gentle and compassionate toward Germany. However, Clemenceau, aptly nicknamed “The Tiger,” wanted to punish Germany for their aggression during the war. Wilson argued that punishing Germany would be counterproductive in that the Germans might seek revenge later and spark conflict.
Wilson presented the committee with his plan for peace, known as the Fourteen Points. His vision was the creation of a worldwide alliance that would use diplomacy to solve problems in an effort to avoid future wars. In Wilson’s mind, World War I was so horrible that the world could not endure another war of its magnitude. As part of the Fourteen Points, Wilson called for an end to secret alliances, a reduction of armaments and militarism, a reduction of trade and economic barriers, a reduction of colonial holdings, and a respect for nationalist movements and self-determination around the world so as to reduce ethnic and religious conflict that could cause future wars. This idyllic alliance of countries would be known as the League of Nations.
Wilson’s advocacy for goodwill in constructing the treaty was drowned out by the other members of the conference, and Germany was forced to accept blame for the destruction of the war, limit the size of its army, pay reparations to Europe, and give back the territories of Alsace and Lorraine to France. Although the treaty was ultimately rather harsh to Germany, many leaders did like Wilson’s overall idea for the League of Nations, and they agreed to join. Wilson was pleased that some of his Fourteen Points had been accepted. When he returned to America, he presented the idea to Congress for a formal admittance of the US into the league. Congress said no. In the spirit of George Washington, they did not want to enter into foreign entanglements with Europe.
Interestingly, while Wilson advocated for peace, democracy, and diplomacy overseas, he had passed acts restricting the civil liberties of Americans at home during the war. The Espionage Act of 1917 effectively criminalized speaking out against the government or conveying false reports or false statements with an intent to sabotage an American military operation. The censorship clauses in the act were a direct response to resistance to the draft and were used to stop dissent or insubordination against the government. Those who were deemed as breaking the new law could be fined a maximum of $10,000 or imprisoned for twenty years, but not both. The act also gave the Postmaster General the authority to refuse mail to publications that violated the act’s terms. In fact, seventy-five publications lost their mailing privileges under the law.
This act was followed up by the Sedition Act of 1918, which punished those using disloyal and profane language about a form of government in the United States. The courts brought the Sedition Act under the name of the Espionage Act, forming the amendments called the Sedition Act. Ultimately, the Sedition Act amendments were repealed in 1920, but some provisions remain to this day.
Pieces of the provisions that still remain were upheld by the Supreme Court several times, supporting the idea that free speech can be limited during wartime if that speech presents a “clear and present danger” to the government action. For example, in Schenck v. United States (1919), the Supreme Court ruled that Schenck, an anti-war activist and socialist, had broken the law by disseminating anti-war pamphlets to men who were eligible for the draft. The court ruled that charging Shenck did not violate Schenck’s civil liberties, because his actions had harmed the American war effort and thus endangered the nation. Likewise, socialist presidential candidate Eugene Debs was arrested in 1918 for protesting the draft as well. Although he was sentenced to ten years in prison, his sentence was eventually commuted and he was able to continue his political career.
Overall, Wilson’s desperate desire for global peace, while also advocating for legislation that suspended habeas corpus during times of war, can be seen as hypocrisy, or it can be seen as two goals toward the same end. Wilson may have envisioned a world in which peace and democracy could only be preserved if everyone adhered to a common good that relinquished some freedoms in order to support a social contract that was expertly designed.
https://history.state.gov/milestones/1914-1920/league

https://immigrationtounitedstates.org/482-espionage-and-sedition-acts-of-1917-1918.html

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/u-s-congress-passes-sedition-act