een bestowed upon few
Americans. The London _Times_ headed its leader "A Great Ambassador" and
this note was echoed in all sections of Great Britain. The part of
Page's career which Englishmen chiefly recalled was his attitude during
the period of neutrality. This, the newspapers declared, was Page's
great contribution to the cause. The fact that it had had such
far-reaching influences on history was the one especially insisted on.
His conciliatory and skillful behaviour had kept the United States and
Great Britain friends at a time when a less tactful ambassador might
easily have made them enemies; the result was that, when the time came,
the United States could join forces against the common enemy, with
results that were then daily unfolding on the battlefields of France. "I
really believe," wrote the Marquess of Crewe, "that there were several
occasions when we might have made it finally impossible for America to
join us in the war; that these passed by may have been partly due to
some glimmering of common sense on our part, with Grey as its main
exponent; but it was more largely owing to your patience and courtesy
and to the certainty which the Foreign Office always enjoyed that its
action would be set before the Secretary of State in as favourable a
light as it conscientiously could be." That, then, was Page's
contribution to the statesmanship of this crisis--that of holding the
two countries together so that, when the time came, the United States
could join the Allies. A mass of private letters, all breathing the same
sentiment, began to pour in on Page. There was hardly an illustrious
name in Great Britain that was not represented among these
leave-takings. As illustrating the character and spirit animating them,
the following selections are made:

_From the King_

The information communicated to me yesterday through Mr. Laughlin
of Your Excellency's resignation of the Post of Ambassador and the
cause of this step fill me with the keenest regret. During your
term of office in days of peace and of war your influence has done
much to strengthen the ties of friendship and good-will which unite
the two English-speaking nations of the world. I trust your health
will soon be restored and that we may have the pleasure of seeing
you and Mrs. Page before your departure.

GEORGE R.I.

_From the Prime Minister_

10, Downing Street, Whitehall, S.W. 1.
30