-2-
 
 
professors, there was a civil servant, and there was a man described to
me by a responsible person as the most intelligent and experienced
foreign
newspaper correspondent in Berlin, and there were several others whom I
shall not designate.
 
 
 I had made up my mind to try to inform myself as well as possible
about certain aspects of the conditions in the country, and to this end
while in Germany to make an effort to listen to what I was told, to
remember
it and not at the time to form judgments of my own, except concerning
the
sincerity and objectivity of my new acquaintances. I also originally
intended to ask few questions and to avoid leading questions. In many
instances, however, this precaution seemed to be quite unnecessary and
not infrequently a free and untrammeled discussion arose, which, so far
as I could judge, entailed none of the familiar disadvantages of a
debate. In fact, most people seemed eager to talk, and clearly found
relief in talking freely.
 
 
 There was one person who, after receiving me with great politeness
and consideration, delivered a lecture of about three-quarters of an
hour
and carefully and skillfully avoided any suggestions that I made
tending to
lead him away from a prepared statement that he had clearly and
precisely
in mind. I attach no importance to what he said and shall disregard it
because it is quite impossible for me to guess how trustworthy his
remarks may have been. Two other persons were extremely reticent and
gave me little or no information that I could regard as significant.
There were three or four others who, speaking in the presence of a
third person or for a short time, said very little. They also hardly
count. There remain some fifteen or
more individuals, old and young, male and female, of widely different
experiences and occupations, though all, of course, of the educated
classes,
who freely and, so far as I could judge, frankly poured out their
opinions