erals, and the Commander in Chief in France was given an entirely 

 free hand in his plans, his poHcy and his appointments. The vast sums 

 of money raised by the successive Liberty Loans were expended without 

 scandal, likewise a refreshing innovation in our history. But I am not 

 attempting to write the story of our participation in the war; I have 

 merely wished to point out certain facts, which are generally ignored 

 or overlooked because of personal or partisan malice. 



Almost immediately after our entrance into the war there arrived 

 missions from Great Britain and France, one headed by Mr. (afterward 

 Lord) Balfour, the other by Marshal Joffre. I was in touch, indirectly, 

 with the English mission and heard much that never found its way 

 into print. The facts were alarming and indicated that, without prompt 

 help, material and financial, the Allies must acknowledge defeat. When 

 Admiral Sims reached London and learned what the submarines were 

 actually accomplishing, he was appalled and reported to Washington 

 that the Germans were winning the war. The whole situation was 

 much more nearly desperate than our public had any conception of. 

 Unless our Treasury had assumed the loan, the British Government 

 would have defaulted on the $400,000,000 which they owed to J. P. 

 Morgan and Co. Altogether, as the missions frankly admitted, without 

 American help the war was lost, a fact which nearly all EngHsh and 

 French writers have conveniently forgotten. 



The American people and, by no means least, the German-Americans, 

 excited my admiration by the whole-hearted way in which they threw 

 themselves into the struggle and cheerfully submitted to every sacri- 

 fice and inconvenience which the Government asked of them, and 

 stinted themselves in order to make up the depleted food supply of 

 the Allies. The Government, very wisely, I think, made suggestions 

 and requests, rather than gave orders. The people who would have re- 

 fused to be driven, very willingly followed their leaders and carried 

 out their requests. We cut down our allowance of wheat flour and 

 mixed what was left with all sorts of substitutes, oatmeal, cornmeal, 

 potatoes, etc., etc., and with surprisingly palatable results. We almost 

 entirely gave up the use of sugar. Potatoes were very scarce in the spring 

 of 1918 and I well remember buying a quart of potatoes and a quart 

 of strawberries and paying nearly the same price for each. 



On certain specified Sundays, no motor car was permitted to run on 

 the highways, save in cases of urgent necessity, in order to save gaso- 

 line for the military and naval services. There was no order given, 

 merely a request from the War Department, but it was wonderfully 



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