owever, that he would
agree gladly if the United States offered it. On my visit to
Washington I had the honour of dining with Lord Bryce, our Ambassador
there and an old friend of my father's, and I mentioned the matter to
him. He could not, however, commend my efforts to the Government, as I
had no credentials as a special delegate. There was nothing to do but
take my place in the queue of importunates waiting to interview the
Postmaster-General. When at length I had been moved to the top of the
bench, I was called in, and very soon explained my mission. I received
a most cordial hearing, but merely the information that a note would
be made of my request and filed.

It suddenly flashed upon me that Americans had equal fishing rights with
ourselves on the Labrador coast, and that quite a number visited there
every year. Possibly the grant of a two-cent postage would be a welcome
little "sop" to them. Mr. Meyer, who was the Postmaster-General at the
time, said that it made all the difference if the reduced rate would in
any way encourage the American mercantile marine. He bade me draw a
careful list of reasons in favour of my proposal, and promised to give
it careful attention.

It so happened that a few days later I mentioned the matter to Colonel
McCook at whose home I was staying in New York. Colonel McCook, known
as "Fighting McCook," from the fact that he was the only one of nine
brothers not killed in the Civil War, at once took up the cudgels in
my behalf, left for Washington the following day, and wired me on the
next morning, "All arranged. Congratulations"--and I had the pleasure
of telegraphing the Postmaster-General in St. John's that I had
arranged the two-cent postage rate with the United States and
Newfoundland. A few days later I received a marked copy of a
Newfoundland paper saying how capable a Government they possessed,
seeing that now they had so successfully put through the two-cent post
for the Colony--and that was all the notice ever taken of my only
little political intrigue; except that a year or two later, meeting
Mr. Meyer in Cambridge, he whispered in my ear, "We were going out of
office in four days, or you would never have got that two-cent post
law of yours through so easily."

* * * * *

In the spring of 1907 I was in England, and before I left, my old
University was good enough to offer me an honorary degree of Doctor of
Medicine of Oxford. As it was th