American Experience

To King George V of England
July 22, 1918

Your Majesty,

It was very kind and thoughtful of Her Majesty the Queen, and you, Sir, to cable us about the death of our son Quentin; and Mrs. Roosevelt, and I thank you both, with all out hearts. Of his three brothers Ted, who is a Major of Infantry, has been gassed once and is now in hospital with a bullet through his leg; Archie, a Captain of Infantry, has been badly wounded by a shell; both were cited for gallantry, in orders; Kermit has been Captain of an armored machine gun motor battery with your army in Mesopotamia, has been given the Military Cross, and is now with our army under Pershing. Unlike most of their fellow-countrymen they had prepared in advance! They sailed from our shores over a year ago; their mother and I knew their temper and quality; and we did not expect to see all of them come back.

If you are in touch with your brother-in-law, King Haakon, pray present H.M. my regards. I have not written him recently because I have known how very much he has had to cause him anxiety.

If it be true that the bolshevists have executed the Czar, I should think it would give food for reflection to the Kaiser. Until I saw the revelations by that big German steel manufacturer, Tyssen, and by Lichnowsky, I thought that the Kaiser had merely been swept along by the Junker-capitalistic-militaristic-beaurocratic party; but I fear that he was in reality one of the leaders in the movement that has plunged the civilized world into the abyss. At least America is beginning to render some real help to the Allies, and unless Russia behaves even worse than so far she has behaved the strain can not but tell on Germany; but I always fear lest we find the Germans using Russian man power in their army. I am urging our people over here to prepare now for putting in France next year an American army bigger than the German army; if so, we can surely finish the war in '19, and may finish it this year.

I hope all your family are well.

I am, Sir, with great regard,

very faithfully yours

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