The nature of anti-British feeling in America today is not
easy to define, since it arises from a multiplicity of prejudices and emotions. There is, of course, the hard core of professional anglophobes—the Irish, the German and the Italian elements— to whom must be added the Isolationists and the America First propagandists, who are active, subtle and acute. These people are able to work upon a public suffering from grave moral and material distress. The Americans are a profoundly civilian people and hate war in any form. The more ignorant among them believe that, were it not for " Europe " (a continent which they view with suspicion and distaste) the world would be made safe for American commerce and the American standard of living. Such people tend to regard England as the medium through which they become entangled in the affairs of Europe. They are enraged by the extent to which, and the frequency with which, the quarrels between European States drag them away from their frigidaires and radio- sets and force them to spend time, money and blood upon this most unwelcome business of waging war. And in their resentment at being thus entangled they incline to blame " British diplomacy " (which they regard at one and the same time as extremely clumsy and diabolically clever) for all the slings and arrows of their out- rageous fortune.
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