Thomas Mann an Bessie Webster

Dankt für W.’s Teilnahme an der Kontroverse in ›Atlantic Monthly‹. »This attack was very stupid, and perhaps I should not have replied to it at all. But my friends were of the opinion that I should take the opportunity to clarify my viewpoint once and for all. This I have done in the article ›In my defense‹, and from now on I shall certainly not react to such foolishness any more.« – Präzisiert die Ambivalenz seines Verhältnisses zu Deutschland und verweist W. in diesem Zusammenhang auf die Rede ›Germany and the Germans‹, die er nächstens in Washington halten wird.