August 30, 1937.

My dear Lewis Browne –

I read your book “Oh say, Can you see” with real delight. It has (after a word by Grabbe) the humour, the satire and the deep meaning of that kind of novel which we in Germany call “Erziehungsroman”. The idea of sending a naive Russian to this country and to let him face the multitudinous human beings in different social circles, the power and the inadequacies of American society, is an excellent one and you have accomplished its realization with grace. With such a task in view the author often inclines toward drawing a superficial black and white satire which is not the case in your book at all. The characters are human beings. One feels in spite of many bitter sketches your love for “God’s own country”. The book was especially interesting to me as a foreigner who thought he could understand America after having been here a short time and then learning more and more facts becomes more and more confused. Your book has deepened my knowledge and often clarified my mind aside from the artistic pleasure which it gave me.

I congratulate you heartily and thank you for sending the book to me.

Please give my kindest regards to Mrs. Browne,

Yours ever sincerely,

Ernst Toller.