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

222 INTIMATE PAPERS OF COLONEL HOUSE

did not go through before the end of the war, it might never
do so.
'I suggested to Fletcher the advisability of his visiting the
different South American countries to further the proposal.
I thought if Chile continued to obstruct, we should go ahead
without her. The smaller republics would agree and, with
Argentina and Brazil, it made but little difference whether
Chile came in or remained out.'
With the appointment of Mr. Lansing as Secretary of
State, in July, 1915, following Bryan's resignation, new
impetus was given to the proposals which House had
initiated. 'I am again urging action in that direction,' the
Colonel wrote on July 18 to Thomas Nelson Page. A week
later, Mr. Lansing came up to the North Shore to spend the
day with him.
'July 24, 1915: Secretary and Mrs. Lansing arrived on
the 10.30 train. Lansing and I at once went into executive
session and talked continuously until lunch. There was
much to go over. I wished to tell him of European conditions, as I found them, and to give him an insight into what
had been done in the Department concerning some important matters.... The South American proposal was one.
I was surprised to find that Lansing was ignorant of what
had been done. He said, as far as he knew there was nothing
on file in the Department. I was surprised, too, that the
President had not talked with him more freely and given
him fuller information concerning pending matters....
'We took up the Mexican situation and he is getting under
way the arrangement to have the A.B.C. Powers join us in
composing the difficulties there. He did not know the suggestion was mine and was made as far back as January and
lying dormant until now. I do not think the President can
altogether relieve himself of blame in this delay, for, while