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

CONVERSATION WITH DR. RATHENAU 403

me to hear him say that as far as he knew, he stood alone.
He said he had begun to wonder whether all the rest were
really mad, or whether the madness lay within himself....
It was almost pathetic to hear him urge us not to cease in
our efforts to bring about peace. He said it was the noblest
mission that was ever given to man and that he would pray
that we would not become discouraged. I hear this note
struck in all the countries. Mothers and wives, fathers and
brothers, have spoken in the same strain and have seemed to
feel that the only hope lies in our endeavors.
Affectionately yours
E. M. HOUSE
'It is a sad commentary,' added House, 'that the Governments of each of the belligerents would probably welcome
peace negotiations, and yet none of them are able safely to
make a beginning.' For each Government, in order to evoke
the belligerent enthusiasm necessary to a prosecution of the
war, had created a Frankenstein monster which emphatically
vetoed any whisper of peace. Zimmermann stated, wrote
House on March 24, 'that if peace parleys were begun now
upon any terms that would have any chance of acceptance,
it would mean the overthrow of this Government and the
Kaiser.'
Colonel House to the President
BERLIN, March 26, 1915
DEAR GOVERNOR:
While I feel I have accomplished much of value here, I
leave sadly disappointed that we were misled into believing
that peace parleys might be begun upon a basis of evacuation of France and Belgium.
I have been cordially received and have added many new
friendships to the old. I find the civil Government here as
sensible and fair-minded as their counterparts in England,
but they are for the moment impotent.