Sir William Tyrrell, the secretary of Sir Edward Grey—­himself, I think, an M.P.—­has gone to the United States to visit his friend, Sir Cecil Spring Rice.  He sailed yesterday, going first to Dublin, N.H., thence with the Ambassador to Washington.  He has never before been to the United States, and he went off in high glee, alone, to see it.  He’s a good fellow, a thoroughly good fellow, and he’s an important man.  He of course has Sir Edward’s complete confidence, but he’s also a man on his own account.  I have come to reckon it worth while to get ideas that I want driven home into his head.  It’s a good head and a good place to put good ideas.

The Lord knows you have far too much to do; but in this juncture I should count it worth your while to pay him some attention.  I want him to get the President’s ideas about Mexico, good and firm and hard.  They are so far from altruistic in their politics here that it would be a good piece of work to get our ideas and aims into this man’s head.  His going gives you and the President and everybody a capital chance to help me keep our good American-English understanding.

Whatever happen in Mexico, I’m afraid there will be a disturbance of the very friendly feeling between the American people and the English.  I am delivering a series of well-thought-out discourses to Sir Edward—­with what effect, I don’t know.  If the American press could be held in a little, that would be as good as it is impossible.

     I’m now giving the Foreign Office the chance to refrain from more
     premature recognizing.

     Very hastily yours,

     WALTER H. PAGE.

Sir William Tyrrell, to whom Page refers so pleasantly, was one of the most engaging men personally in the British Foreign Office, as well as one of the most influential.  Though he came to America on no official mission to our Government, he was exceptionally qualified to discuss Mexico and other pending questions with the Washington Administration.  He had an excellent background, and a keen insight into the human aspects of all problems, but perhaps his most impressive physical trait was a twinkling eye, as his most conspicuous mental quality was certainly a sense of humour.  Constant association with Sir Edward Grey had given his mind a cast not dissimilar to that of his chief—­a belief in ordinary decency in international relations, an enthusiasm for the better ordering of the world, a sincere admiration for the United States and a desire to maintain British-American friendship.  In his first encounter with official Washington Sir William needed all that sense of the ludicrous with which he is abundantly endowed.  This took the form of a long interview with Secretary Bryan on the foreign policy of Great Britain.  The Secretary harangued Sir William on the wickedness of the British Empire, particularly in Egypt and India and in Mexico.  The British oil men, Mr. Bryan declared, was nothing but the “paymasters” of the British Cabinet.