Before closing I want to correct the impression you appear to have
received that I have meant to suggest a conference of private persons
for the purpose of agreeing upon an appeal by them to the nations of
Europe to desist from fighting and consider terms of settlement. I know
this would be entirely impracticable and useless, but what I meant to
convey to you was my conviction that if you and men like you, of whom I
confess there are but too few, were to make the endeavor to rouse public
opinion in the United States to a point where it should insistently
demand that this terrific carnage of blood and destruction cease, it
would not be long before these warring Governments would take notice of
such sentiments on the part of the American people; and what should be
done at once is the stoppage of the furnishing of munitions of war to
any of the belligerents, as is unfortunately done to so great an extent
at present from this country.
We freely and abundantly give to the Red Cross and the many other relief
societies, but we do this, even if indirectly, out of the very profits
we derive from the war material we sell to the belligerents, and with
which the wounds the Red Cross and other relief societies endeavor to
assuage are inflicted.
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