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

240 INTIMATE PAPERS OF COLONEL HOUSE

if I would lunch with the German Ambassador uptown instead of downtown, and I promised to do so....
'May 9, 1913: I lunched at Delmonico's with the German
Ambassador, Count von Bernstorff, and Mr. Speyer.
'The Count talked rather more freely than I anticipated
a diplomat of his training would. He spoke of Mr. Bryan
and of the different assistants in the State Department with a
good deal of freedom. He also criticized ex-Secretary Knox
and Huntington Wilson, his First Assistant.
'The most interesting part of his conversation was after
lunch, when Mr. Speyer left us and Bernstorff and I walked
down the Avenue alone. I suggested, that it would be a
great thing if there was a sympathetic understanding between
England, Germany, Japan, and the United States. Together
I thought they would be able to wield an influence for good
throughout the world. They could ensure peace and the
proper development of the waste places, besides maintaining
an open door and equal opportunity to every one everywhere.
'Much to my surprise, he agreed with me. He said the
understanding between Germany and England was much
better of late, and if they had some mutual field of endeavor
he thought a good understanding could finally be brought
about between them. He suggested that perhaps China was
the most promising field at present for concerted action, for
the United States could work there with Germany and
England....'
Two months later, in London, House discussed the broad
lines of this plan with the American Ambassador. Page
sympathized thoroughly with House's scheme of utilizing
the force of nations for purposes other than military or naval.
'It is a time,' he wrote to House, 'for some great constructive, forward idea - an idea for action. If the great world
forces could, by fortunate events and fortunate combina