Volume II Part 22 (1/2)
Sutherland,
April 8, 1917.
DEAR MR. PAGE:
This is a line that needs no answer to express my congratulations on President Wilson's address. I can't express adequately all that I feel. Great grat.i.tude and great hope are in my heart. I hope now that some great and abiding good to the world will yet be wrought out of all this welter of evil. Recent events in Russia, too, stimulate this hope: they are a good in themselves, but not the power for good in this war that a great and firmly established free country like the United States can be. The President's address and the way it has been followed up in your country is a splendid instance of great action finely inspired. I glow with admiration.
Yours sincerely,
GREY OF FALLODON
One Englishman who was especially touched by the action of the United States was His Majesty the King. Few men had watched the course of America during the war with more intelligent interest than the head of the British royal house. Page had had many interviews with King George at Buckingham Palace and at Windsor, and his notes contain many appreciative remarks on the King's high character and conscientious devotion to his duties. That Page in general did not believe in kings and emperors as inst.i.tutions his letters reveal; yet even so profound a Republican as he recognized sterling character, whether in a crowned head or in a humble citizen, and he had seen enough of King George to respect him. Moreover, the peculiar limitations of the British monarchy certainly gave it an unusual position and even saved it from much of the criticism that was fairly lavished upon such nations as Germany and Austria. Page especially admired King George's frankness in recognizing these limitations and his readiness to accommodate himself to the British Const.i.tution. On most occasions, when these two men met, their intercourse was certainly friendly or at least not formidable. After all formalities had been exchanged, the King would frequently draw the Amba.s.sador aside; the two would retire to the smoking room, and there, over their cigars, discuss a variety of matters--submarines, international politics, the Irish question and the like. His Majesty was not averse even to bringing up the advantages of the democratic and the monarchical system. The King and Amba.s.sador would chat, as Page himself would say, like ”two human beings”; King George is an emphatic and vivacious talker, fond of emphasizing his remarks by pounding the table; he has the liveliest sense of humour, and enjoys nothing quite so much as a good story. Page found that, on the subject of the Germans, the King entertained especially robust views. ”They are my kinsmen,” he would say, ”but I am ashamed of them.”
Probably most Englishmen, in the early days of the war, preferred that the United States should not engage in hostilities; even after the _Lusitania_, the majority in all likelihood held this view. There are indications, however, that King George favoured American partic.i.p.ation.
A few days after the _Lusitania_ sinking, Page had an audience for the purpose of presenting a medal sent by certain societies in New Orleans.
Neither man was thinking much about medals that morning. The thoughts uppermost in their minds, as in the minds of most Americans and Englishmen, were the _Lusitania_ and the action that the United States was likely to take concerning it. After the formalities of presentation, the King asked Page to sit down and talked with him for more than half an hour. ”He said that Germany was evidently trying to force the United States into the war; that he had no doubt we would soon be in it and that, for his part, he would welcome us heartily. The King also said he had reliable information from Germany, that the Emperor had wished to return a conciliatory answer to our _Lusitania_ note, but that Admiral von Tirpitz had prevented it, even going so far as to 'threaten' the Kaiser. It appears that the Admiral insisted that the submarine was the only weapon the Germans could use with effect against England and that they could not afford to give it up. He was violent and the Kaiser finally yielded[55].”
The statement from the King at that crisis, that he would ”heartily welcome the United States into the war,” was interpreted by the Amba.s.sador as amounting practically to an invitation--and certainly as expressing a wish that such an intervention should take place.
That the American partic.i.p.ation would rejoice King George could therefore be taken for granted. Soon after this event, the Amba.s.sador and Mrs. Page were invited to spend the night at Windsor.
”I arrived during the middle of the afternoon,” writes Page, ”and he sent for me to talk with him in his office.
”'I've a good story on you,' said he. 'You Americans have a queer use of the word ”some,” to express mere bigness or emphasis. We are taking that use of the word from you over here. Well, an American and an Englishman were riding in the same railway compartment. The American read his paper diligently--all the details of a big battle. When he got done, he put the paper down and said: ”Some fight!” ”And some don't!” said the Englishman.'
”And the King roared. 'A good one on you!'
”'The trouble with that joke, sir,' I ventured to reply, 'is that it's out of date.'
”He was in a very gay mood, surely because of our entry into the war.
After the dinner--there were no guests except Mrs. Page and me, the members of his household, of course, being present--he became even familiar in the smoking room. He talked about himself and his position as king. 'Knowing the difficulties of a limited monarch, I thank heaven I am spared being an absolute one.'
”He went on to enumerate the large number of things he was obliged to do, for example, to sign the death warrant of every condemned man--and the little real power that he had--not at all in a tone of complaint, but as a merely impersonal explanation.
”Just how much power--perhaps 'influence' is a better word--the King has, depends on his personality. The influence of the throne--and of him on the throne, being a wholly thoughtful, industrious, and conscientious man--is very great--greatest of all in keeping the vested interests of the aristocratic social structure secure.
”Earlier than this visit to Windsor he sent for me to go to Buckingham Palace very soon after we declared war. He went over the whole course of events--and asked me many questions. After I had risen and said 'good-bye' and was about to bow myself out the door, he ran toward me and waving his hand cried out, 'Ah--Ah!--we knew where _you_ stood all the time.'
”When General Pers.h.i.+ng came along on his way to France, the King summoned us to luncheon. The luncheon was eaten (here, as everywhere, strict war rations are observed) to a flow of general talk, with the Queen, Princess Mary, and one of the young Princes. When they had gone from the luncheon room, the King, General Pers.h.i.+ng, and I stood smoking by the window; and the King at once launched into talk about guns, rifles, ammunition, and the American place in the battle line. Would our place be with the British or with the French or between the two?
”General Pers.h.i.+ng made a diplomatic reply. So far as he knew the President hadn't yet made a final decision, but there was a feeling that, since we were helping the British at sea, perhaps we ought to help the French on land.
”Then the King expressed the earnest hope that our guns and ammunition would match either the British or the French. Else if we happened to run out of ammunition we could not borrow from anybody. He thought it most unfortunate that the British and French guns and rifles were of different calibres.”
_To Arthur W. Page_
Brighton, England,
April 28, 1917.
DEAR ARTHUR:
... Well, the British have given us a very good welcome into the war. They are not very skillful at such a task: they do not know how to say ”Welcome” very vociferously. But they have said it to the very best of their ability. My speeches (which I send you, with some comment) were very well received indeed. Simple and obvious as they were, they meant a good deal of work.