ance of the whole world and with
the hope of stirring up internal trouble for our government by the
activity of the Germans and the Irish in the United States, which
may hinder munitions and food and loans to the Allies.

I need not remark that the English judgment of the Germans is
hardly judicial. But they reply to this that every nation has to
learn the real, incredible character of the Prussian by its own
unhappy experience. France had so to learn it, and England, Russia,
and Belgium; and we (the United States), they say, fail to profit
in time by the experience of these. After the Germans have used us
to the utmost in peace, they will force us into war--or even flatly
declare war on us when they think they can thus cause more
embarrassment to the Allies, and when they conclude that the time
is come to make sure that no great nation shall emerge from the war
with a clear commercial advantage over the others; and in the
meantime they will prove to the world by playing with us that a
democracy is necessarily pacific and hence (in their view)
contemptible. I felt warranted the other day to remark to Lord
Bryce on the unfairness of much of the English judgment of us (he
is very sad and a good deal depressed). "Yes," he said, "I have
despaired of one people's ever really understanding another even
when the two are as closely related and as friendly as the
Americans and the English."

You were kind enough to inquire about my health in your last note.
If I could live up to the popular conception here of my labours and
responsibilities and delicate duties (which is most flattering and
greatly exaggerated), I should be only a walking shadow of a man.
But I am most inappreciately well. I imagine that in some year to
come, I may enjoy a vacation, but I could not enjoy it now. Besides
since civilization has gone backward several centuries, I suppose
I've gone back with it to a time when men knew no such thing as a
vacation. (Let's forgive House for his kindly, mistaken
solicitude.) The truth is, I often feel that I do not know
myself--body or soul, boots or breeches. This experience is making
us all here different from the men we were--but in just what
respects it is hard to tell. We are not within hearing of the guns
(except the guns that shoot at Z