d is threatened with invasion. They'll all die first. It
will presently be true that more men will have been killed in this
war than were killed before in all the organized wars since the
Christian era began. The English are willing and eager to stop it
if things can be so fixed that there will be no military power in
Europe that wishes or prepares to attack and invade England.

I've had many one-hour, two-hour, three-hour talks with Sir Edward
Grey. He sees nothing further than I have written. He says to me
often that if the United States could see its way to cease to
protest against stopping war materials from getting into Germany,
they could end the war more quickly--all this, of course,
informally; and I say to him that the United States will consider
any proposal you will make that does not infringe on a strict
neutrality. Violate a rigid neutrality we will not do. And, of
course, he does not ask that. I give him more trouble than all the
other neutral Powers combined; they all say this. And, on the other
side, his war-lord associates in the Cabinet make his way hard.

So it goes--God bless us, it's awful. I never get away from
it--war, war, war every waking minute, and the worry of it; and I
see no near end of it. I've had only one thoroughly satisfactory
experience in a coon's age, and this was this: Two American ships
were stopped the other day at Falmouth. I telegraphed the captains
to come here to see me. I got the facts from them--all the facts. I
telephoned Sir Edward that I wished to see him at once. I had him
call in one of his ship-detaining committee. I put the facts on the
table. I said, "By what right, or theory of right, or on what
excuse, are those ships stopped? They are engaged in neutral
commerce. They fly the American flag." One of them was released
that night--no more questions asked. The other was allowed to go
after giving bond to return a lot of kerosene which was loaded at
the bottom of the ship.

If I could get facts, I could do many things. The State Department
telegraphs me merely what the shipper says--a partial statement.
The British Government tells me (after infinite delay) another set
of facts. The British Government says, "We're sorry, but the Prize
Court must decide." Our Government wires a dissertation on