763.72/2326½
The Ambassador in Italy (Page) to the Secretary of State
My Dear Mr. Secretary: I observe that I have left out one matter which I meant to speak of. It relates to the President’s sound policy of “Preparedness”. I have it borne in on me more and more all of the time that we not only are not in Mr. B’s idyllic condition “of a country at peace without an enemy in the world”; but in fact we have not a friend in the world,—unless possibly it be Switzerland. And further, that when this war is over, we are going to find it out promptly. One has only to read the English press which reflects the English opinion to see how deep is the feeling against us in England, in spite of all we have done for her. She considers that we have been inspired solely by selfish motives in whatever our people have done for her, and she resents tremendously our determination to maintain the freedom of the seas, and not less our apparent success in availing ourselves of such freedom.
On the other hand, Germany unquestionably, according to all that I hear, and I hear a good deal,—though it comes mainly in fragments,—is bitterly hostile to us and intends, when this war is over, to make us answer for what she terms our unneutrality and aid to England.
They talk openly of making America pay their expenses of war because of America’s furnishing England with the means to prolong the struggle,—at least openly enough for it to come to my ears from sundry directions. Whether it shall be immediately after the war, or whether some time shall elapse before she finds it convenient to attack us,—it is coming as certainly as she remains intact herself, and unless I am mistaken it will come very soon after she gets the Allied powers off her hands. They envy our condition and believe sincerely that we shall not be able to put up any fight against them,— so I say: Evviva Mr. Wilson’s policy of preparedness.
I give you this as my opinion for whatever it is worth, and will only say that I myself have arrived at it from causes which seemed to admit of no other conclusion.
Believe me [etc.]