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

140 INTIMATE PAPERS OF COLONEL HOUSE

made by the Postmaster-General and the Attorney-General
to resign, if their withdrawal would make it easier for the
President to appoint House Secretary of State. This occurred in the early autumn of 1915, after Bryan's resignation.
'Burleson and Gregory [noted House on June 20, 1915]
thought perhaps I was refusing to become Secretary of State
because it would give Texas three men in the Cabinet and
all from Austin. They therefore offered to send in their
resignations if I would accept.
'When I told the President about Burleson and Gregory
offering to resign so as to leave me free to accept the Secretaryship of State without embarrassment to him, he said, "I
am glad you told me, for it is something I shall always remember with pleasure."'
Colonel House to Postmaster-General Burleson
ROSLYN, LONG ISLAND
June 21, 1915
DEAR ALBERT:
Gregory has given me your message, and nothing has ever
touched me more deeply.
There is no consideration, I think, that would influence me
enough to make me accept an office. My endeavor must
always be in the path I have so long followed. If I could be
brought to think of it at all, it would be to serve my friends
and not to accept sacrifices from them.
You and Gregory have made me feel that life is worth
living and that all I have tried to do has not been in vain.
Your friend always
E. M. HousE
To House, members of the Cabinet brought the most
varied problems. He responded with an unsparing expenditure of time and energy and, like Kipling's hero, frequently