Europe is ceasing to be interesting except as an example of how-not-to-do-it.  It has no lessons for us except as a warning.  When the whole continent has to go fighting—­every blessed one of them—­once a century, and half of them half the time between and all prepared even when they are not fighting, and when they shoot away all their money as soon as they begin to get rich a little and everybody else’s money, too, and make the whole world poor, and when they kill every third or fourth generation of the best men and leave the worst to rear families, and have to start over afresh every time with a worse stock—­give me Uncle Sam and his big farm.  We don’t need to catch any of this European life.  We can do without it all as well as we can do without the judges’ wigs and the court costumes.  Besides, I like a land where the potatoes have some flavour, where you can buy a cigar, and get your hair cut and have warm bathrooms.

     Build the farm, therefore; and let me hear at every stage of that
     happy game.  May the New Year be the best that has ever come for
     you!

     Affectionately,

     W.H.P.

FOOTNOTES: 

[Footnote 68:  Evidently the battle of Heligoland Bight of August 28, 1914.]

[Footnote 69:  The reference in all probability is to Mr. Charles L. Hoover, at that time American Consul at Carlsbad.]

[Footnote 70:  German Ambassador in Washington.]

[Footnote 71:  Professor of Psychology at Harvard University, whose openly expressed pro-Germanism was making him exceedingly unpopular in the United States.]

[Footnote 72:  Evidently written in the latter part of September, 1914.]

[Footnote 73:  Miss Katharine A. Page, the Ambassador’s daughter.]

[Footnote 74:  The Hague, the Cressy, and the Aboukir were torpedoed by a German submarine September 22, 1914.  This exploit first showed the world the power of the submarine.]

[Footnote 75:  Princess Lichnowsky, wife of the German Ambassador to Great Britain.]

[Footnote 76:  Private Secretary to Mrs. Page.]

[Footnote 77:  Mr. Harold Fowler, the Ambassador’s Secretary.]

[Footnote 78:  Probably a reference to Mr. Charles M. Schwab, President of the Bethlehem Steel Company, who was in London at this time on this errand.]

[Footnote 79:  No. 4 Grosvenor Gardens.]

[Footnote 80:  Miss Katharine A. Page had just returned from a visit to the United States.]

[Footnote 81:  Mr. Arthur W. Page’s country home on Long Island.]

[Footnote 82:  Evidently the Audacious, sunk by mine off the North of Ireland, October 27, 1914.]

[Footnote 83:  Tewfik Pasha, the very popular Turkish Ambassador to Great Britain.]