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

226 INTIMATE PAPERS OF COLONEL HOUSE

Before Ambassador Naon sailed, I submitted to him the
propositions and he was entirely satisfied with them.
This morning I saw the Brazilian Ambassador and he also
approved. This afternoon I asked the Chilean Ambassador
to come and see me, and after a long discussion of the whole
question he changed his views in regard to the convention
and said that he could see no reason why Chile could not
accept the propositions as redrafted. I urged on him the
advisability of speedy action and he agreed that he would at
once communicate them to his Government and ask that
the new Cabinet, which comes into office on December 20th,
would act immediately and cable him instructions accordingly.
I feel convinced that the Ambassador will do all he can to
secure favorable action by his Government.
I thought you would be interested to know the present
status of the negotiations and when I see you will explain
more fully the substance of my conversation with Mr.
Suarez.
I hope to be in New York at the Army-Navy football
game on the 27th and shall stay over until Sunday night.
Possibly I may have an opportunity to see you then if you
are not in Washington before that time.
With warm regards, I am
Cordially yours
ROBERT LANSING
IV
As in the case of the League of Nations Covenant three
years later, Colonel House was less interested in the wording
of the draft than in the spirit behind the agreement and in
securing definite and unanimous acceptance. 'I think you
have now gotten the four propositions down to the best
possible form,' he wrote Mr. Lansing on November 20.
And he urged the President to get the business 'buttoned