for the good of the Fatherland, and that the papers in question deserved to be suppressed.  The vital fact remains that your newspapers are not free to publish anything they like.  Ours are thus free.  Every issue of your papers must be submitted to your police, so that your rulers may control what you write and read.  Not a paper in America is submitted to any official whatever.  You cannot read anything which your Government believes it wise to keep from you.  We can read everything, whether the Government likes it or not.  Americans believe there can be no truly free press, and no real unfettered public opinion, with the possibility of punishment hanging over the press of a country.  Where the police, representing the ruling power, controls the press there is no true liberty.  Whatever else may be said against the American press, it must be admitted that it is free from Government control.  It is not necessary, therefore, to inquire whether the American Government has employed or instigated the public press to attack Germany, since, even if it desired to do so, it would not dare make the attempt.

There are many other statements in your letters which can only be explained as the result of writing under stress of intense emotion; you would probably wish to modify many of these were you writing under happier circumstances.  It is not my desire, however, to dwell upon this phase of your correspondence.  I do not for a moment doubt your sincerity, and believe you were yourself convinced of the truth of all you wrote.  My purpose in writing this letter is to accept in good faith your expressed wish for a better understanding between two peoples who have long been on friendly terms with one another, and to contribute toward this end by removing, at least so far as we two are concerned, one serious misunderstanding which now exists.

As you are well aware, the American people, with the exception of a certain proportion of German-born population, are practically unanimous in condemning Germany for bringing on the war and for conducting it in a barbarous manner.  You, together with hosts of your fellow-countrymen, believe this unfavourable opinion is the result of the truth being kept from the American public by improper means.  It is, of course, a comforting thought to you that when the whole truth is known we will revise our opinions and realise that Germany acted righteously, and was not guilty of the crimes which have been charged against her.  But, as a scientific man, devoted to the search for truth, no matter where it leads you, you would not want to deceive yourself with such a comforting assurance if it were founded on false premises.  If, therefore, you really want to know the conditions under which American opinion of Germany’s conduct has been formed, I will endeavour to describe them with the same calmness and careful attention to accuracy which I earnestly endeavour to observe in my scientific investigations.  In discussing this vitally important matter, I will