waiting for some "overt act"

The German leaders, however, did not anticipate the good fortune that was awaiting them in the East. They decided to stake everything on the submarine card. Wilson promptly broke off diplomatic relations. Then there was a pause, a period of waiting for some “overt act” . Sir Cecil Spring Rice, the British Ambassador in Washington, was praying for “the destruction of an American ship with American passengers.” --America's Second Crusade by William Henry Chamberlin

познавательная книжка, в первой главе про Allied propagandists, German “atrocities” etc и многое другое. еще там чуть дальше про treaty of alliance with Mexico и о том, что Zimmerman’s proposal is indistinguishable from the territorial bribes with which the Allies induced Italy and Rumania. - очень смешно.

The greatest failure of all was in “ making the world safe, for democracy.” Communism and fascism, not democracy, were the authentic political offspring of World War I.

...
Fifteen years ago came the Armistice and we all thought it was to be a new world. It is! But a lot worse than it was before.

Вильсона уместно сравнить с мистером Смитом из Комедиантов. не имел ли его в виду Грин? прошло-то всего полвека. впрочем, персонаж типический...

Many of the German demands would have been reasonable if they had not been made by a paranoid dictator and would-be conqueror like Hitler.

ох не все считали его paranoid dictator в 1936-м, мне кажется. особенно в Британии.

еще

на amazon 4.9 rating.