The intimate papers of Colonel House arranged as a narrative by Charles Seymour.

348 INTIMATE PAPERS OF COLONEL HOUSE

At the beginning of the war there was, no doubt, a distinct
and purely American sentiment which was stirred by the
wrong done to Belgium and which approved of our action in
going into war. This feeling was no doubt genuine and widespread and founded rather on ideals of conduct than on race,
history, or language. But we feel that the Germans regard
themselves as partisans, that they work actively in America as
everywhere else by all means in their power, for the success in
Europe of the German arms, and that they aim one way or
another at making their influence felt in the press, in business,
and in every branch of the Government. Upon their action
and upon the success which has attended it so far, Germany
founds hopes that the attitude of the United States Government will be increasingly disadvantageous to the Allies and,
it may be added, more especially to Great Britain....
I can hardly believe that such a policy is deliberately
desired by any but the German-Americans in the United
States. There is, however, an impression in Europe that
there is a danger of the United States Government insensibly drifting into such a policy. If this apprehension is
realized, then there can be no hope of a speedy conclusion
of the war. Germany will not relax her hold on Belgium;
and as for Great Britain, not to speak of the Allies, she
cannot give up the restoration of Belgium unless and until
she has exhausted all her resources and has herself shared
Belgium's fate.
This is what people here are beginning to feel, and I should
like him [House] to know it. The feeling has not yet found
widespread public expression, but it is there and it is growing.
In the struggle for existence in which this country is at stake,
much store is set in England on the good will of the United
States; and people cannot believe that the United States desires to paralyze the advantage which we derive from our sea
power, while leaving intact to Germany those military and
scientific advantages which'are special to her.