As I met these men I was in a sense an agent of public opinion who
called each day to report the opinions of the belligerents to the
readers of American newspapers. One day at the British Embassy I was
given copies of the White Book and of many other documents which Great
Britain had issued to show how she tried to avoid the war. In
conversations later with Ambassador von Bernstorff, I was given the
German viewpoint.

The thing which impressed me at the time was the desire of these
officials to get their opinions before the American people. But why
did these ambassadors want the standpoints of their governments
understood over here? Why was the United States singled out of all
other neutrals? If all the belligerents really wanted to avoid war,
why did they not begin twenty years before, to prevent it, instead of,
to prepare for it?

All the powers issued their official documents for one primary
purpose--to win public opinion. First, it was necessary for each
country to convince its own people that their country was being
attacked and that their leaders had done everything possible to avoid
war. Even in Europe people would not fight without a reason. The
German Government told the people that unless the army was mobilised
immediately Russia would invade and seize East Prussia. England,
France and Belgium explained to their people that Germany was out to
conquer the world by way of Belgium and France. But White Books were
not circulated alone in Europe; they were sent by the hundreds of
thousands into the United States and translated into every known
language so that the people of the whole world could read them.

Then the word battles between the Allies and the Central Powers began