THE WORLD WAR: PERIOD OF AMERICAN NEUTRALITY  317



to my personal knowledge, awakened against the Allies a resentful
sentiment among the American people which is in marked contrast
to the popular sympathy, which earlier in the war was strongly on
their side in the conflict. This is probably shown best by the feeling
aroused in the last session of Congress, whose committees held hear-
ings on the effects of British measures on the rights and interests of
the people of the United States, and whose opinion was crystallized
in certain legislation enlarging the powers of the President to deal
with the situation resulting from the British measures which were
considered not only as illegal but as needless from a military point
of view, and as imposing upon our citizens losses and burdens, to
which Great Britain seemed entirely indifferent.
  Perhaps the one measure more responsible than any other for this
result is the blacklisting plan of the British Government, although
the improper censorship of the mails has affected thousands of our
people. I cannot too earnestly impress upon you the strong public
feeling in the United States in regard to the blacklist. This feeling
is naturally most hostile among those of our citizens whose business
-has been directly affected, but they are not alone in their complaints
or in their demands on the Government for radical action. I have
taken pains to sound the opinion of the more conservative portion
of our people and I am convinced that a bitterness of feeling is in-
treasing to such a degree as to endanger the good relations of the
United States and Great Britain. To resist this rapidly growing
sentiment this Government will be powerless, unless the British Gov-
ernmnent shows a more considerate and friendly regard for American
rights. I do not know what reports are sent home by British Agents
here, but whatever they are they are ill advised if they have not
reported to their Government this change in public opinion. This
change is further augmented not only by the fact that the blacklist-
ing plan results in many cases in the transfer of American trade from
American houses to British competitors who reside and carry on their
business in the United States, but by the belief, whether true or
false, that the blacklisting plan, as it has only an infinitesimal effect
on the war, is in reality aimed at the destruction of German trade
after the war, a purpose which, if true, cannot be justified before the
world.
  The objectionable features of blacklisting seem to me so apparent
that I cannot understand how the British Government can defend
it on any but most technical grounds if indeed it can be defended
on any grounds. It is clearly an invasion of the independence and
sovereignty of the United States by an endeavor to enforce indi-
rectly, if not directly, British laws upon American soil and to im-
pose restraints upon trade in the United States. Not only do thea
British Government control the actions of British subjects here but