e--absolutely nobody is to hear
it." The answer is--"Yes, only, you know, I have no secrets from the
Ambassador: no member of his staff can ever have."--Of course, we get
some fun along with our tragedies. If I can find time, for instance, I
am going to write out for House's amusement a verbatim report of every
conversation that he held in London. It has all come to me--from what he
said to the King down; and it all tallies with what House himself told
me. He went over it all himself to me the other day at luncheon.--I not
only believe--I am sure--that in this way I do get a correct judgment
of public feeling and public opinion, from Cabinet Ministers to
stock-brokers.

_December 11, 1916._

The new Government is quite as friendly to us in its intentions as the
old, and much more energetic. The old Government was a spent force. Mr.
Balfour is an agreeable man to deal with, with a will to keep our
sympathy, unless the dire need of ships forces him to unpleasantness.
The Prime Minister is--American in his ways. Lord Robert has the old
Cecil in him, and he's going to maintain the blockade at any cost that
he can justify to himself and to public opinion, and the public opinion
is with him. They are all eager to have American approval--much more
eager, I think, than a large section of public opinion, which has almost
ceased to care what Americans think or do. The more we talk about peace,
the more they think about war. There is no vindictiveness in the
English. They do not care to do hurt to the German people: they regard
them as misguided and misled. But no power on earth can stop the British
till the German military caste is broken--that leadership which attacked
Belgium and France and would destroy England. Balfour, Lloyd George, the
people, the army and the navy are at one in this matter, every labouring
man, everybody, except a little handful of Quakers and professors and
Noel Buxton. I think I know and see all the peace men. They feel that
they can talk to me with safety. They send me their pamphlets and
documents. I think that all of them have now become warlike but three,
and one of them is a woman. If you meet a woman you know on the street
and express a sympathy on the loss of her second son, she will say to
you, "Yes, he died in defence of his country. My third son will go next
week. They all die to save us." Doubtless she sheds tears in private.
But her eyes are dry in public. She has discarded her luxuries to