President Woodrow Wilson came up with the policy of strict neutrality during the early years of World war 1, on the 4th August, 1914. The president declared that the United States would remain impartial, both in action and in thoughts This policy was challenged by the German violation of freedom of the seas as tension between Germany and the United States arose after the Germans attempted to quarantine the British Isles. Consequently, several US ships attempting to reach British ports were either damaged or sunk by German mines.