rrels of Europe; and it was the one section of the Treaty of
Versailles which was most responsible for the rejection of that document
by the United States Senate. There are other suggestions in Colonel
House's letter which apparently bore fruit in the League Covenant. It is
somewhat astonishing that a letter of Colonel House's, written as far
back as October 3, 1914, two months after the outbreak of the war,
should contain "Article X" as one of the essential terms of peace, as
well as other ideas afterward incorporated in that document, accompanied
by an injunction that Page should present the suggestion to Sir Edward
Grey:

_From Edward M. House_
115 East 53rd Street,
New York City.
October 3rd, 1914.

DEAR PAGE:

Frank [the Ambassador's son] has just come in and has given me your
letter of September 22nd[101] which is of absorbing interest. You
have never done anything better than this letter, and some day,
when you give the word, it must be published. But in the meantime,
it will repose in the safe deposit box along with your others and
with those of our great President.

I have just returned from Washington where I was with the President
for nearly four days. He is looking well and is well. Sometimes his
spirits droop, but then again, he is his normal self.

Before I came from Prides[102] I was fearful lest Straus,
Bernstorff, and others would drive the President into doing
something unwise. I have always counselled him to remain quiet for
the moment and let matters unfold themselves further. In the
meantime, I have been conferring with Bernstorff, with Dumba[103],
and, of course, Spring Rice. The President now wants me to keep in
touch with the situation, and I do not think there is any danger of
any one on the outside injecting himself into it unless Mr. Bryan
does something on his own initiative.

Both Bernstorff and Dumba say that their countries are ready for
peace talks, but the difficulty is with England. Sir Cecil says
their statements are made merely to place England in a false
position.

The attitude, I think, for England to maintain is the one which she
so ably put forth to the world. That is, peace must come only upon
condition of disarmament and must be permanent. I have a feeling
that Germany will soon be willing to discuss terms. I do not