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          I replied that the Field Marshal muet remember that while the American people today were 
 
overwhelmingly determined not to be drawn into the war, and that it was the consistent policy of 
 
the Government of the United States to keep the American people from being drawn into war,
 
nevertheless, he would also remember that in 1916 President Wilson had been re-elected on a 
 
platform which amounted to "he has kept us out of war"; the Republican candidate, Mr. Hughes, 
 
set forth in his platform that he, if elected, would keep the American people out of war; and yet 
 
not six months after the election in November 1916, the American people overwhelmingly 
 
supported our entrance into the war. I said it must never be forgotten that the American people
 
are quick to act when they believe that their vital interests are at stake.
 
          I discussed at some length with the Field Marshal the conversations which my 
 
Government had recently undertaken with the neutral powers in order to ascertain whether it was 
 
possible to find an agreement in principle upon the problems of the limitation and reduction of 
 
armaments and of a sound international trade policy. I said to the Field Marshal that I had brought 
 
with me a brief memorandum setting forth the views of my Government on the latter subject. The
 
memorandum was read to him. The Field Marshal immediately stated that he was entirely in 
 
accord with every word contained in the memorandum, and that the German Government, at the
 
time of any peace negotiatlons, would whole-heartedly cooperate in restoring to the countries of 
 
the world such a policy as that indicated. He stated that there was no country on earth that would 
 
stand to gain more than Germany by the adoption of such an international trade policy. He said
 
that