t till I have said
something to him. I am now going down to Garden City and New York till
the President send for me; or, if he do not send for me, I'm going to
his house and sit on his front steps till he come out!" Page had brought
from England one of the medals which the Germans had struck in honour of
the _Lusitania_ sinking, and one reason why he particularly wished to
see the President alone was to show him this memento.

Another reason was that in early September Page had received important
news from London concerning the move which Germany was making for peace
and the attitude of Great Britain in this matter. The several plans
which Germany had had under consideration had now taken the form of a
definite determination to ask for an armistice before winter set in. A
letter from Mr. Laughlin, Charge d'affaires in Page's absence, tells the
story.

_From Irwin Laughlin_

Embassy of the United States of America.
London, August 30, 1916.

DEAR MR. PAGE:

For some little time past I have heard persistent rumours, which
indeed are more than rumours, since they have come from important
sources, of an approaching movement by Germany toward an early
armistice. They have been so circumstantial and so closely
connected--in prospect--with the President, that I have examined
them with particular attention and I shall try to give you the
results, and my conclusions, with the recommendation that you take
the matter up directly with the President and the Secretary of
State. I have been a little at a loss to decide how to communicate
what I have learned to the Government in Washington, for the
present conditions make it impossible to set down what I want to
say in an official despatch, but the fortunate accident of your
being in the United States gives me the safe opportunity I want,
and so I send my information to you, and by the pouch, as time is
of less importance than secrecy.

There seems to be no doubt that Germany is casting about for an
opportunity to effect an armistice, if possible before the winter
closes in. She hopes it may result in peace--a peace more or less
favourable to her, of course--but even if such a result should fail
of accomplishment she would have gained a breathing space; have
secured an opportunity to improve her strategic position in a
military sense, perhaps by short