purchase for use in the present war.

"On the first proposition, I can only say that if he has this
invention, as my young friend of the Navy stands so firmly convinced,
it is tantamount to admitting that the United States has a new and
terrible instrument of war, in which case it would be most unwise to
offend her. If he has not, there certainly can be no objection to
allowing him the opportunity of offering to our enemies something that
is of no value. Therefore, that seems to settle the question as to the
advisability of detaining him, as has been suggested. I should
strongly favour letting him go when and where he pleases.

"Assuming that he has in his possession facts or mechanisms that would
give to one nation such stupendous advantages over the others as he
claims, we must not forget that the United States has had these facts
and mechanisms for some time. Therefore, it would be ill-advised to
detain him forcibly, for the United States' answer to this would be a
declaration of war in which the superiority of her position would be
overwhelming.

"I'm inclined to believe that the reason he does not wish to sell his
discovery is because he has not obtained permission from his
Government to do so. They intend to dispose of it to the country with
whom they can make the most favourable bargain. I think indeed that
under all circumstances the best policy for this Government is to
treat this man with the greatest possible consideration. If he has the
power to do us harm, we must put him in such a position that he will
not wish to do it; and if he has not, our treatment of him will have a
tendency to draw the United States nearer to us than she is at
present. We must, at least, pretend to take the American Secretary of