opinion to you as it exists to-day.  When I say “American opinion,” I mean, of course, the opinion of the vast majority of our people.  A significant proportion of the German-born population and a very small proportion of native Americans (usually those married to Germans or otherwise connected with Germany) disagree with the opinions cited.  But over 90 per cent. of our population may safely be said to hold the views described as “American” below.

In the first place, Americans, in general, make a distinction between the German Government and the German people.  They realise that certain features of the Prussianised Government have never appealed favourably to the Bavarians, the Saxons, and other elements of the German population.  I do not mean by this that Americans believe any part of Germany is disloyal to the Government.  On the contrary, they believe the German people as a whole are supporting the Government and its acts with devotion, and that, therefore, the German people as a whole are responsible for whatever acts the Government commits.  But Americans recognise the reality of Prussian leadership in the policy of your country.  They do not believe the German people wanted the war; but they do believe the military Government, under Prussian control, wanted the war, planned for it with infinite skill and efficiency for many years, and brought it about when they believed the time was ripe.

Americans have no doubt whatever that the insolent ultimatum to Servia was delivered for the purpose of provoking war, and that Austria would never have dared send it were it not for the fact that the German Government “assured her a free hand” in advance, as has been officially admitted by your Government.  The fact that Austria refused to make public the full evidence on which she based her accusations against the Servian Government, added to the fact that she made these accusations after a secret investigation in which the defendant had no representation, has shocked not only America but the entire world; and has convinced the world, as a whole, that Austria and Germany were more guilty of wrongdoing than was Servia.

Americans have studied carefully the official documents issued by the different Governments concerning the origin of the war, and have had the advantage of seeing all the papers which each has published.  The official papers issued by England, Germany, France, Austria, and the other Governments have been printed in full in pamphlet form, and have been eagerly studied by the whole nation.  Edition after edition has been exhausted by a people eagerly seeking to learn the truth.  In Germany there has been no such eagerness to learn the truth by careful, critical study of the official sources of information, and leading Germans have regretfully admitted that too many of the German people were content to accept their Government’s statements as the truth, without attempting to use their own intelligence in the matter.  In the