Evening star., 1925-10-16
EDITED BY BURTON ]. HENDRICK.
From Ambassador Pages MemOran
dunn BOOk.)

dum BOOk)
December 81, 1916.
1 write this memorandum (for my
self only with the hope Of revising
1t by the light of subsequent events,
| and I write it only to record my pres
ent fear, which l hope to have reason
to abandon.
If. at the beginning of Germany's
onslaught on civilization-when Bel
GUM was invaded, or. later, when
the Lusitania was sunk-the Presi-
dent had given a sign or spoken a
word the whole American people and
American sentiment would have called
Germany down quick and short and
gone to war If necessary.
But the President had silenced and
suppressed them by his making the
artificial quality Of neutrality posi-
tive virtue and quality. He sup
pressed discussion as far as he could.
This made hay for the Germans in
the United States. and Bernstorff took
command Ito large degree) of Amer
lean sentiment. He threatened. and
the President feared. 1t has been a
regime of fear of the Germans ever
slnce-see the much greater Difference
OF tone shown in Notes to Germany
than In Notes TO Great Britain. Thus
Bernstorn has waXed more and more
daring and more and more influential.
This distant fear of the Germans
and fear OF war causes the Presidents 8
peace movement. If the war goes on
till Spring he fears that the Germans
Will make good their threat to sink
all ships Including American) that
come to England. Hence the extreme
desire for peace now.
81 predict that the President can
not be made to lift a finger for war
until the Germans should actually
lombard one of our ports.
On February Bernstorff was in
formed that his career in the United
States had severed diplomatic rela-
tions with Germany.
TO THE PRESIDENT.
London, February 4, 1917.
Secretary of State
Washington, d. G.
5695. February 4, noon.
Personal to the President
Your prompt action after your pa
tlent efforts to avoid a rupture will
strengthen our national character and
build up our national unity at home
In Europe it will put us in the highest
esteem of all nations, including even
the people of the Central Powers: it
will shorten the war; it will preserve
to us our proper high place in the
family of great powers; it will i'm
measurably advance the influence of
democracy and it will give you the
lead with your constructive program
in insuring peace hereafter.
Mrs. Page thinks this telegram too
impersonal. SO 1t may be. but l am
afraid to let myself go. PAGE.
Step Delayed Two Months.
Two months were to pass. however,
before President Wilson took the irrev-
ocable step. They We're months filled
with exciting events and humiliating
moments. During this period Page
kept something that resembled a diary:
at least he jotted down. now and then,
the thoughts that each succeeding
crisis inspired. Much as Page well
coined the breach with Germany, and
sincere as were his congratulations to
the President over that event. the old
doubt as to Wilson's constancy still
prevailed. The Presidents reluctant
and wavering courSe-aS Page regard
ed it-had left the belief, which he
never abandoned, that Mr.. Wilson had
not understood the issues of the war,
or that he persisted in misunderstood
ing them; that he placed the allies and
the central powers on the same moral
level; that he looked upon Germany
with an indulgent eye; that even after
dismissing Bernstorff he sought IL
every conceivable way to keep the
United States out Of the war. and that
only an overwhelming public Senti-
ment at last forced him into the con-
flict.
After the German declaration Of un-