The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-08-28
WILSON ACCEPTS RE ES|GNAT|0N 0F AMBASSADOR PAGE U. s. Ambassador to Great Britain Forced to Resign
 on Account of HI
 Health

Washington. August 27.-Due to con
 tinued ill-health, Walter Kinds Page.
 ambassador of the United States to Great
 Britain. has offered his resignation to
 President Wilson. While no official an
 nouncement was forthcoming today, it
 was learned in official circles that the
 President, at the urgent request of the
 ambassador, had decided to accept the
 resignation
 tirst news of the intention of Ambas-
 sador Page, who was appointed to his
 post in April, 19lS to retire came today
 in an Associated Press dispatch from
 London. 'oia' ina' So many and so various have been the activities and accomplishments of An. passador Page during his stay at the court or St James that it was said to- uay at the state department that they form compendious history of Ameri- can diplomacy from the beginning to the present stage of the world war.
 When MT. Page assumed office he was enurely without diplomatic experience or .rainihs, ms career preceding that date haVing been in the line of literary en. deavor with a practical experience as a
 publisher. Yet it was soon manifested 5
 the satisfaction of the state depart ment that the diplomatic business of the government in Great Britain safely could be sintrusted to him. Diplomatf,, issues of importance and interest which were ieft as legacy by the preceding
 administration fell to him and without
 hesitation these were dealt with in a manner So tactiful and decided as to ] lleace no ground for dissatisfaction. 1 With the outbreak of the war in the year following his assumption of office, MT Page was called upon to display tal- ents Of constructive statesmanship in 1 an international sense that has made his administration singularly successful. New issues of the gravest importance were constantly arising out of the reckless dis
 regard by Germany of all established principles of warfare
 These acts necessitated the adoption by the entente allies of countervailing
 measures which in themselves. framed to meet unprecedented conditions, like wise involved a encouragement of the old rules. Animated by desire to preserve as
 far as possible the humane and beneficert principles, upon which The Hague con- ventions and international law itself were founded the state department exerted itself to restrain the belligerents on both sides from excesses, and particularly aga'nst infractions of the rights of ned- l trals
 The British government and the French as well, for their interests were in com ] mon. early perceived the necessity of re- straining German activity in the field 1 and on the high seas by the establish :, ment of the more rigid blockade which 1 involved an interference with the rights of neutral shipping far beyond anything 1 formerly recognized as within the right of the belligerents.
 l MT. Page was called upon to present l the solemn protests of this government against many of these illesai actions and orders in council but it was at the 1 state department that so tactfully and
 wisely did he handle these delicate ques- tiQns that he was able to secure from
 the British and French governments. then in g highly excited and sometimes un-
 reasonable state of mind. modihcationf 1 of the orders that went far to ameii-
 crate the hardships imposed upon neutral commerce by the war. At the same time /! he retained the respect and regard ol those governments. %