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

INTERNATIONAL MORALS

295

individual morals. No high-minded man would think of
doing as an individual what he seems perfectly ready to do as
a representative of a State. It has been thought entirely
legitimate to lie, deceive, and be cruel in the name of
patriotism. I endeavored to point out that we could not get
very far toward a proper international understanding until
one nation treated another as individuals treat one another.
We see the wreck individuals make of themselves by devoting all their time to selfish interests, and, while they may
acquire things that seem to them worth while, in the end
they lose the regard of their fellow men and find themselves
unhappy because of them.'
House believed that the United States should lead in a
crusade for such a revolution in international morals. He
found the President difficult to stir. Wilson was profoundly
interested in domestic problems and was still slow to formulate a positive foreign policy. He seemed to feel that he had
already accomplished his great work.
'September 28, 1914: The President [House noted] declared
if he knew he would not have to stand for reelection two
years from now, he would feel a great load lifted from him.
I thought he need not accept the Presidency unless he wished
to, even if the Democratic Party demanded it, though I could
understand why he would feel it a duty to do so provided
his health permitted. I could not see what else he could do
in life that would be so interesting. He replied that the
thing that frightened him was that it was impossible to make
such an effort in the future as he had made in the past, or to
accomplish anything like what he had accomplished in a
legislative way. He feared the country would expect him to
continue as he had up to now, which would be impossible.
I thought the country would neither expect it nor want it.
There were other things he could do which would be far