The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-12-23

Official Endorsement by the United |
states Government Ambassador Page |
steaved straight course of neutrality,
but at the same time he made It very ,
clear that the principles of right and
justice which America as nation in
dorsed would eventually bring the
United States in conflict with any ma
ton or group OF nations which sought
to trample them under foot.
Foresaw America Enter War.
Although he said little and made no
public speeches during this trying and
delicate period, Mr.. Page became
known In Great Britain as q man
whose sympathies and ideals were all
on the side OF the Entente, and the
impression became general that he
firmly believed II was only a question
OF time before the United States be-
came a belllgerent.
The Ambassadors work In London
at the time Of the sinking OF the Lusl-
| tania made a profound impression on
the British. Thrusting aside all diplo-
matte ceremony, he went to the sta
/ ton to meet the first tralnloads OF sur
vivors and offered them every form Of
assistance. His indignation at the
atrocity Of Germany's crime In this
instance proved too strong to be con-
cealed and the dispatches which the
Ambassador sent in cipher to the State
Department at that time are said to
have made a deep impression. His In
dignation over the murder Of Edith
Cavell was too strong to be concealed.
| After the United States entered the
war Mr.. Page proved OF immense
value in arranging details Of close CO.
operation between the British and
American Governments and all Of the
Allies in military and industrial prob
lens. He was OF great service toward
lettering the lot Of British prisoners of
war in Germany.
Life Work of Ambassador.
Before entering the diplomatic SER
vice he had been successfully news
paper reporter. publisher. special
writer, editor of the Forum, literary
adviser Of Houghton Miffiin q Co.,
editor Of the Atlantic Monthly, men,
Der OF the firm of Doubleday. Page
& Co. and editor Of the Worlds Work
He was a member of President Roose-
velts Country Life Commission and
was q member olso of the General
Education Board. His selection as
Ambassador to Great Britain was a
marked example OF President Wilson's
policy of choosing men for important
diplomatic posts without regard to
their wealth. Although Mr.. Page had
been a successful publisher and writer.
nevertheless his means, as compared
: to the fortune OF his predecessor and
OF other former Ambassadors to Great
Britain. were moderate. II was i'm
, possible for him 10 maintain at the
American Embassy the lavish stand
ards exhibited there by Whitelaw Reid.
His conduct of the embassy was mod
est. but dignifed.
, Mr.. Page was born in Cary, n. c.,
on August 10. 1856. After he was
graduated from Randolph Macon Col
lege in Virginia in 1876 he won a
Greek fellowship at Johns Hopkins
University and studied there for two
!. years under the noted Greek and Latin
scholar. Prof. B. L. Gildersleeve. His
first newspaper work was as a re-
porter on the Gazette OF St Joseph
Mo. He wrote for the Atlantic a
: social study Of an old Southern Dor
> ough and the success OF the article en-
: couraged him TO travel through the
South, writing letters 10 the Spring
, field Republican, the Boston Post, the
New York World and other Northern
newspapers. For two years he was
a special correspondent for the World
= one of his Investigations being among
the Mormons OF Utah.
Mr.. Page started the State Chronicle
!. In Raleigh. y. c., and so found himself
n in the publishing business. He couIdnt
4 make success Of Il In those days and
II had to quit because Publisher Page
70 couldn't pay Editor Pages salary
l. Just about that time Josephus Dan.
iels arrived in Raleigh and took charge
= Of the State Chronicle, Mr.. Page mi
]. grating to the North after having
$ stirred his Southern nelghbors int
y founding an industrial and mechanica
t college at Raleigh.
= Work in New York.
1t Coming to New York Mr.. Page wrot,
/. editorials for the Evening Post, con
}. tributing also to Hdrpers Weekly an,
h the Atlantic. In 1887 he went to tn
- Forum, and upon the retirement Of I.
n s. Metcalf in 1890 beca me editor Of tina
magazine. Five years later he wa
: called to Boston 10 become literary ad
:, wiser to Houghton Miffiin & Co. II
It 1895 he took the editorship Of the At
lantic and had the job OF accepting o
n rejecting the same sort OF articles a
l. the ones which he had proudly seel
= in the magazine under his own nam
;. when he was Just out OF college
n Coming to New York in 1899 MI
"a Page for a short time was literary ad
II wiser TO Harper G. Bros. and edited tn
II Harper-McClu Encyclopedia. Bein
asked one day why he had given VI
the Atlantic editorship he said
!, Everybody said was crazy to do 4
- but I told my friends that II I wa
crazy It was high time tho place wa
~ occupied by some other man. IT,
truth is that although I was enjoy
Is ing my work. there was no future In
n necessarily, and that some day I Nigh
be turned out TO pasture, as all editor
ought to be after they lose FRESHNESS;
y. Then, too, I thought that as long as
Il, could make a magazine, why not max
* one for myself and be my own pub
l. lisher?"
~ So in 1899 he entered the new fri
6 Of Doubleday, Page & Co. In the FOL
a lowing year Worlds Work was founde
v. and Mr.. Page had a magazine OF HI
OF own. He began to work out IN tn
nj | n,aOazina his conviction that tLaAre uH