The Days of a Man 



rank of major, and was shot in October, 1918, while 

 gallantly rescuing wounded men under fire. 



Stockholm During the summer of 1917 a popular anti-war plan 

 conference was launched abroad, when, in July, the Socialists 

 of Europe convened at Stockholm, their main pur- 

 pose being in some way to bring the conflict to an 

 end. The movement seemed to me one worth encour- 

 aging, as it would surely prove a backfire against 

 German autocracy, and give German delegates a 

 better knowledge of general public opinion. But the 

 authorities at Washington apparently looked on it 

 unfavorably, refusing (so it was reported) to grant 

 passports to certain Socialist leaders in New York. 



Overtures were made to induce me to go to Stock- 

 holm, but I refused to consider the idea for two 

 reasons. Without the approval of our State Depart- 

 ment I could accomplish nothing; moreover, as I 

 explained, I am not a Socialist and should feel no 

 more at home in a Socialist congress than in one of 

 capitalists. 



" The Root In the fall of the year I wrote, at official request, a 

 f the ,, letter to Americans of German descent in which I 

 set forth the contrast between Imperialism and 

 Democracy, showing the natural tendency of the 

 one to war and of the other to peace - - hinting also 

 at the certain downfall of the Kaiser and the system 

 he represented, though I did not expect it would 

 come as soon or be as complete as it proved. 



My letter having been printed as a pamphlet 

 entitled 'The Root of the Evil," 30,000 copies of a 

 German version, "Die Wurzel des Uebels," were sent 



C 748 ] 



