Final answer:
Woodrow Wilson believed that neutrality was essential during the earliest years of World War I to maintain impartiality and avoid internal conflicts between immigrant groups.
Step-by-step explanation:
Woodrow Wilson believed that neutrality was essential during the earliest years of World War I because he feared involvement in the war would curtail progressive reforms. In the excerpt, Wilson mentions that the people of the United States are drawn from many nations, including the nations at war. He acknowledges that there will be a wide variety of sympathies and desires among the people regarding the conflict. Wilson believed that taking sides in the war would inflame passions and make it difficult to maintain impartiality, which he saw as essential for preserving internal unity and avoiding civil conflicts between immigrant groups.
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