The intimate papers of Colonel House arranged as a narrative by Charles Seymour.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL GREGORY

143

cessful he became. He is not only able, but is as loyal as the
Legion of Caesar.'
Colonel House to Attorney-General Gregory
PRIDE'S CROSSING, MASSACHUSETTS
August 20, 1914
MY DEAR FRIEND:... I am so eager for your success and so anxious it may be
brought about without any impairment of your strength that
there are many suggestions that have come to me since our
last talk.
Do be careful about making appointments too soon. Take
your time about them and do not let friendship have any
undue influence upon you....
Affectionately yours
E. M. HOUSE
On his side, Mr. Gregory wrote continually to House, evidencing invariably the strongest affection both for him and
for the President. 'How can I ever repay such confidence or
justify it,' he wrote on August 22, 1914. 'How can I ever
even up matters with you, who have given him so exaggerated an idea of my ability?' And four days later: 'Come to
Washington soon, give us all the suggestions you can spare,
and do not doubt that I know you to be, as you have been for
years, my very best friend.'
Apparently the Cabinet counted on House not merely to
discover available material for appointments, but also to inform unsatisfactory office-holders that they need not expect
reappointment or continuance. The function could not have
been attractive. House writes to McAdoo: 'I am always
ready to meet any suggestion that you make, but if you
know Mr. X at all you would know that it would be utterly
impossible for me or any one else to notify him "in a tactful
way" and " in a way not to hurt his feelings" that his services