was manifest in many phases of American life. In a moment
of exasperation, Page gave expression to this feeling in a letter to his
son:

_To Arthur W. Page_

London, June 6, 1915.

DEAR ARTHUR:

... We're in danger of being feminized and fad-ridden--grape juice
(God knows water's good enough: why grape juice?); pensions;
Christian Science; peace cranks; efficiency-correspondence schools;
aid-your-memory; women's clubs; co-this and co-t'other and coddling
in general; Billy Sunday; petticoats where breeches ought to be and
breeches where petticoats ought to be; white livers and soft heads
and milk-and-water;--I don't want war: nobody knows its horrors or
its degradations or its cost. But to get rid of hyphenated
degenerates perhaps it's worth while, and to free us from 'isms and
soft folk. That's the domestic view of it. As for being kicked by a
sauerkraut caste--O Lord, give us backbone!

Heartily yours,
W.H.P.

In the bottom of this note, Page has cut a notch in the paper and
against it he has written: "This notch is the place to apply a match to
this letter."

* * * * *

"Again and ever I am reminded," Page also wrote in reference to Bryan's
resignation, "of the danger of having to do with cranks. A certain
orderliness of mind and conduct seems essential for safety in this short
life. Spiritualists, bone-rubbers, anti-vivisectionists, all sort of
anti's in fact, those who have fads about education or fads against it,
Perfectionists, Daughters of the Dove of Peace, Sons of the Roaring
Torrent, itinerant peace-mongers--all these may have a real genius
among them once in forty years; but to look for an exception to the
common run of yellow dogs and damfools among them is like opening
oysters with the hope of finding pearls. It's the common man we want and
the uncommon common man when we can find him--never the crank. This is
the lesson of Bryan."

* * * * *

At one time, however, Mr. Bryan's departure seemed likely to have
important consequences for Page. Colonel House and others strongly urged
the President to call him home from London and make him Secretary of
State. This was the third position in President Wilson's Cabinet for
which Page had been considered. The early plans to make him Secretary of
the Interior or Secretary of Agriculture have already been describe