Evening star., 1923-04-03
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
LIFE AND LETTERS OF WALTER
II. PAGE. BY Burton Hendrfck.
DOubleday Pare &r Co

LIFE AND LETTERS OF WALTER
II. PAGE. BY Burton Hendrick.
Doubleday. Page & Co.
He was as much of a war casualty
as was his nephew, Allison Page, who
lost his life with his face to the Ger
man machine guns In Belleau wood"
Burton Hendrick, authorization. is
speaking OF Walter Hines Page, the
subject Of this Life and Letters"
Once you have read the book you will
yourself--but read it.
The London Times only a few days
ago published an open letter. signed
David Lloyd George and Lord Grey.
suggesting that a tablet be erected
In Westminster to the memory of MT.
Page. The dean and chapter Of the
abbey welcomed the plan and today
contributions from a grateful Eng
land promise it's prompt and worthy
fulfillment.
These tributes Of recognition spring
from the public service Of Walter
Page-service that was substantial.
devoted. self-forgetting. inspired,
when the world itself was at It's high
est point of need.
X X X *
The letters cover the five years
during which Mr.. Page served the
United States and England as am
bassador from the former country to
the latter-years that coincided with
the course of the world war. They
are addressed to President Wilson, to
(Bryan or Lansing), to his own sons
and to personal friends, among these
Mr.. F. n. Doubleday OF the house Of
Doubleday, Page & Co. All OF them
have but single common theme-the
war.
One comes out Of this reading tre-
mendously impressed. Work-moun-
tains Of it; obstacles set off against
the work-these also mountain high.
Achievement. nevertheless, of an or
der SO high, even in a worldwide
crisis, as to hold attention and COM
achievement, too, as it turned out to
be. One comes out enriched by new
contacts with a man of sound fiber.
of flaming patriotism, of electric per-
sonality. Dauntless, persistent, pos
sessed of a vision that no clouds Of
indifference or disfavor could dim.
&* n X
During the two ana half years Of
United States neutrality the work Of
five embassies. beside his own, fell
upon Mr.. Page and his force. But
plain work could be carried out, and
was, in a whirlwind Of enthusiastic
efficiency. One in sympathy here
grows tired in mind and body over
what Mr.. Page tried to accomplish
against enormous odds. and did ac-
complish. with the help of a most
intelligent, untiring and loyal set of
| 10. 49, ~,y1 y
inspire that kind OF service. Such is
the kind that he himself gave.
= 4 x x
The bulk of these letters should
have been official rather than per-
sonal They would have been had
not the State Department failed to
function in respect to the ambassador.
Important questions unanswered; i'm
perative needs unheeded; vital secrets
secretary babbled Of peace. The sec
ond one lost himself following the
labyrinthine thread of the law on
neutral ports" continuous voyage"
conditional contraband" and the
English blacklist" of ships And the
submarines were winning the war
had X all but won. Mr.. Page was
forced. in something like desperation,
TO turn to the President and his chief
adviser in an urgency of personal ap-
peal for decision and action. At first,
before the letters grew importunate
and troublesome, Mr.. Wilson welcom-
ed them. Now and then he would
read one in cabinet meeting-maybe
merely for the gusto and charm of
IL. For here was man OF his own
classic tradition; a man. too, OF dy-
manic force and wide outlook. Won
y a~f,, OF n
portrayed. meteoric in effect But the
letters grew in anxiety and urgency,
for the submarines were winning the
war Mr.. Page wanted action and
destroyer ships, and wanted both i'm
mediately, as the only salvation from
world wide catastrophe. The Presi-
dent cooled. Page is more British
thar the British"
And the President from his own
high plane was steadfastly urging
upon US neutrality in thought" as
well as in word and deed. He was
holding up to admiration the lofty
spirit that makes one too proud to
fight. He was temporizing, seeking
delay. in the hope of negotiations
that would end the war, bringing "a
peace without victory" He was en-
the equal culpability of both oelliger-
ents in all wars, past and present.
The President was, in his own mind,
projecting peace wherein he was en-
visaging a peacemaker. such an ono
as the world had not seen in 1000
years.
winning the war. The English, dazed
and stirred to the depths of apprehen-
sion and alarm, came to lose conf
dence in the American government.
They never lost faith in the Ameri-
can people. And in this meantime
the Germans were one with the Presi-
dent in an advocacy Of delay. in pro-
Tossing themselves ready for nego-
tiations. They were. however. carry
ing forward in this country, with
characteristic thoroughness. a course
of instruction on the blessings of
pro -Germanism, interspersfng this
program with effective and far-reach-
ing methods of sabotage or utter
destruction OF war industry plants.
less and inept character of our states
manship; over the easy confidence OF
the amateur; over the ptous provfn-
cial notion that We are all honest
and good together. The Lusitania!
Now. This is the day! Not at all.
That day is a long way oft. Thrill
ing reading right here in these let
, ters. Pitiful reading too.
* * !: *
Then Pershing and Sims and our
and thousands of
these soldiers of ours. The rest of
the immortal story is open. 1t has
email mart here for the ambaSsador's