is loss of confidence in my judgment and advice, which
became increasingly marked during the Paris negotiations. At the time,
however, I did not realize that my honest opinion affected the President
in the way which I now believe that it did. It had always been my
practice as Secretary of State to speak to him with candor and to
disagree with him whenever I thought he was reaching a wrong decision in
regard to any matter pertaining to foreign affairs. There was a general
belief that Mr. Wilson was not open-minded and that he was quick to
resent any opposition however well founded. I had not found him so
during the years we had been associated. Except in a few instances he
listened with consideration to arguments and apparently endeavored to
value them correctly. If, however, the matter related even remotely to
his personal conduct he seemed unwilling to debate the question. My
conclusion is that he considered his going to the Peace Conference was
his affair solely and that he viewed my objections as a direct criticism
of him personally for thinking of going. He may, too, have felt that my
opposition arose from a selfish desire to become the head of the
American Commission. From that time forward any suggestion or advice
volunteered by me was seemingly viewed with suspicion. It was, however,
long after this incident that I began to feel that the President was
imputing to me improper motives and crediting me with disloyalty to him
personally, an attitude which was as unwarranted as it was unjust.

The President having determined to go to Paris, it seemed almost useless
to urge him not to become a delegate in view of the fact that he had
named but four Commissioners, although it had been arranged that the
Great Powers should each have five delegates in the Conference. This
clearly indicated that the President was at least considering sitting as
the fifth member of the American group. At the same time it seemed that,
if he did not take his place in the Conference as a delegate, he might
retain in a measure his superior place of influence even though he was
in Paris. Four days after the Commission landed at Brest I had a long
conference with Colonel House on matters pertaining to the approaching
negotiations, during which he informed me that there was a determined
effort being made by the European statesmen to induce the President to
sit at the peace table and that he was afraid that the President was
disposed to accede to th