ould have a
free hand there. For Roumania and Serbia he also
revealed very slender sympathy. Mr. Gerard did not
obtain out of my mouth any of the statements
concerning these countries which he attributes to
me.

"When diplomats undertake to exploit their
official career for journalistic purposes they are
very apt to be misled into putting into mouths of
foreign statesmen utterances which either are the
creation of an ample imagination or are based on
faulty memory. Discussion of political opinions is
bound to be transitory and fleeting.

"You Americans are impetuous people. You do not
seem to permit even your retiring diplomats to
observe the traditional silences nor have you the
patience to abide the post mortem publication of
their memoirs. Sir Edward Goschen (former British
Ambassador to Germany and Austria) or Jules Cambon
(former French Ambassador to Germany, the United
States and Spain) probably could excel Mr. Gerard
in revelations of entertaining diplomatic history
and gossip. Count von Bernstorff, former
Ambassador to the United States, too, I imagine
might startle us with a diary of his Washington
experiences.

"In Europe, however, it was seen that publication
of such matters was best postponed by common
consent to a later period when judgments are both
calm and more mature. Mr. Gerard, however, may
hold the special license conferred by shirtsleeve
diplomacy, as you call it, and I shall not dispute
his prerogatives. But he must not give his
imagination the free rein."

And this was my answer: published in the _New York Times_ for
September 2, 1917:

"Dr. Hollweg apparently did not have the exact
copy of my articles for if he had read them he
would have seen clearly that I said the peace
terms described were the German peace terms and
not the opinions of the Chancellor. Dr. Hollweg
said he himself was subject to the rule of the
military party of Germany and could not follow his
own desires.

"In the second place, Dr. Hollweg admits that the
German government intended to exact guarantees
from Belgium and makes the admission himself after
the interview in which he so sharply criticises
me.

"Thirdly, I ask if those terms as cited are not
the German peace ter