Plain Words from America: A Letter to a German Professor (1917)

In this compelling wartime exchange, a distinguished American professor writes a measured reply to a German scholar’s passionate plea for understanding. The letter opens with genuine gratitude for the German’s detailed arguments and newspaper clippings, then shifts to a thoughtful critique of the assumptions each side holds about the other’s motives and the role of the press.

Balancing respect for the German correspondent’s earnestness with firm disagreement, the professor examines how newspapers shape public opinion on both sides of the Atlantic. He highlights the differences in press freedom, the dangers of sweeping generalizations, and the moral complexities of a world at war. Listeners will gain insight into the intellectual climate of 1916, where reasoned discourse struggled to bridge the chasm of nationalistic fervor.