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

ATTITUDE OF THE KING OF SPAIN

413

'April 8, 1915 [Biarritz]: Ambassador Willard came from
Madrid to-day, arriving at 2.30.... He says the King
dominates Spain and at heart he is an advanced Liberal.
He is well informed and is altogether an intelligent and upto-date ruler. His Ministers are not nearly so progressive,
and hold him back to a considerable degree.
'The King desires to figure in peace overtures, but is willing to allow the President to take the lead and will cooperate
with him in a secondary capacity. I told Willard I did not
see how he could figure in it jointly, since it would have to
be done by one or the other and, unless the situation changed
it would doubtless be the President. However, the situation
could change to the disadvantage of the President, for, if
all the belligerents become dissatisfied and embittered with
our neutral policy, they might conceive the idea that any one
would be preferable to the President as a mediator. I explained to Willard that I was appealing to the self-interests
of both sides, and that in itself would probably induce them
to accept Wilson.
'Willard said the King was pro-French, but not especially
pro-British; that he was anti-German, but pro-Austrian.
His reason for not being strongly pro-British, even though
his wife is English, is because he feels that he has not been
very courteously treated by the British upon his several
visits to England. Then, too, there is always Gibraltar to
sting Spanish pride....'
Colonel House to the President
PARIS, April 11, 1915
DEAR GOVERNOR:
This is the first time I have had an opportunity to write
you freely since I left here. My visit in Berlin was exceedingly trying and disagreeable in many ways. I met there
no one of either high or low degree who did not immediately corner me, and begin to discuss our shipment of muni