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

RELATIONS WITH SPRING-RICE

313

If the State Department had difficulties in impressing its
point of view upon the American Ambassador in London,
there was also cause for some anxiety because of petty misunderstandings with the British Ambassador in Washington.
Sir Cecil Spring-Rice was a diplomatist of distinction and a
scholar of charm. During the early weeks of the war, his
relations with our Government were of the most cordial sort.
House kept in close touch with him, and the following letter
indicates the tone of their intercourse:
Ambassador Spring-Rice to Colonel House
BRITISH EMBASSY
WASHINGTON, November 5, 1914
MY DEAR COLONEL:
I hear you have come. How are you?...
We hope that the exports will continue as at present. But
the evident intentions of the Germans are to get some fast
cruisers out of the North Sea and effect a junction with those
in the Atlantic, and so control for a short time the trade
routes. We suspect the ships in United States ports of an
intention to run out and get converted into commerce
destroyers, which would be awkward. For this reason I am
asking that ships in New York harbour should be periodically inspected and not allowed to leave unless their cargoes
are innocent.
Do you gather that an attack will be made on the Administration in Congress for remissness about contraband
matters? As a matter of fact, no American exporter has
suffered any loss and all the protests of the Administration
have been successful. But owing to changed conditions of
modern war it is evident that the definition of contraband
must be changed - i.e., for instance, it must include petroleum and copper (which in Germany is entirely used for
cartridges, bombs, etc.); and the American doctrine of
'continuous voyage,' or that the character of the goods is