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

308 INTIMATE PAPERS OF COLONEL HOUSE

the difficulty, which he said would never have arisen if the
State Department had talked the matter over with him
frankly in the beginning. His Government's attitude had
been known at the State Department for a month, and yet
not a word of objection had been raised. If he had known
what the feeling of this country was, he would have taken
it up with his Government and their attitude would have
been modified. As it was, they had already published their
intention of doing the things to which our Government
objected, and it would be difficult to handle it now in a way
to save the amour-propre of his Government.
'We outlined a despatch for this Government to send to
Page, and then we outlined the despatch which we thought
he should send Sir Edward Grey. We agreed to be absolutely
frank with one another, letting each know just what was being
done, so there could be no subterfuge or misunderstanding.'
It would be difficult to find in all history another instance
of diplomacy so unconventional and so effective. Colonel
House, a private citizen, spreads all the cards on the table
and concerts with the Ambassador of a foreign Power the
despatches to be sent the American Ambassador and the
Foreign Minister of that Power. If there is criticism of
the method, it is stifled by its success.
As a result of this intervention, the threatened crisis was
tided over; and during the next five weeks it proved possible
to approach the problem of neutral shipping with equanimity, although no fundamental solution was discovered.
House himself said nothing of what he had done.
Colonel House to Ambassador W. H. Page
NEW YORK, October 29, 1914
DEAR PAGE:
When your cablegram came, I communicated with the
President, but found that everything was in process of ad