The British newspapers have lately been encouraging this by mysterious phrases.

Some men here of good sense and sound judgment think that this is the result of the so-called German "peace offensive," which makes the present the most dangerous period of the war.
W.H.P.
_To David F.Houston_[72] London, March 23, 1918.
MY DEAR HOUSTON: It is very kind of you indeed to write so generously about the British visitors who are invading our sacred premises, such as the Archbishop of York, and it is good to hear from you anyhow about any subject and I needn't say that it is quite a rare experience also.

I wish you would take a little of your abundant leisure and devote it to good letters to me.
And in some one of your letters tell me this .-- The British send over men of this class that you have written about to see us, but they invite over here--and we permit to come--cranks on prohibition, experts in the investigation of crime, short-haired women who wish to see how British babies are reared, peace cranks and freaks of other kinds[73].

Our Government apparently won't let plain, honest, normal civilians come over, but if a fellow comes along who wants to investigate some monstrosity then one half of the Senate, one half of the House of Representatives, and a number of the executive offices of the Government give him the most cordial letters.

Now there are many things, of course, that I don't know, but it has been my fate to have a pretty extensive acquaintance with cranks of every description in the United States.
I don't think there is any breed of them that didn't haunt my office while I was an editor.