y,
W.H.P.

_To the President_

Sandwich, May 24, 1918.

DEAR MR. PRESIDENT:

Your speeches have a cumulative effect in cheering up the British.
As you see, if you look over the mass of newspaper clippings that I
send to the Department, or have them looked over, the British press
of all parties and shades of opinion constantly quote them
approvingly and gratefully. They have a cumulative effect, too, in
clearing the atmosphere. Take, for instance, your declaration in
New York about standing by Russia. All the allied governments in
Europe wish to stand by Russia, but their pressing business with
the war, near at hand, causes them in a way to forget Russia; and
certainly the British public, all intent on the German "drive" in
France had in a sense forgotten Russia. You woke them up. And your
"Why set a limit to the American Army?" has had a cheering effect.
As leader and spokesman of the enemies of Germany--by far the best
trumpet-call spokesman and the strongest leader--your speeches are
worth an army in France and more, for they keep the proper moral
elevation. All this is gratefully recognized here. Public opinion
toward us is wholesome and you have a "good press" in this Kingdom.
In this larger matter, all is well. The English faults are the
failings of the smaller men--about smaller matters--not of the
large men nor of the public, about large matters.

In private, too, thoughtful Englishmen by their fears pay us high
tribute. I hear more and more constantly such an opinion as this:
"You see, when the war is over, you Americans will have much the
largest merchant fleet. You will have much the largest share of
money, and England and France and all the rest of the world will
owe you money. You will have a large share of essential raw
materials. You will have the machinery for marine insurance and for
foreign banking. You will have much the largest volume of
productive labour. And you will know the world as you have never
known it before. What then is going to become of British trade?"

The best answer I can give is: "Adopt American methods of
manufacture, and the devil take the hindmost. There will be for a
long time plenty for everybody to do; and let us make sure that we
both play the game fairly: that's the chief matter to l