From the President

     The White House, Washington,
     March 25, 1914.

     MY DEAR PAGE: 

Thank you for your little note of March thirteenth[52].  You may be sure that none of us who knew you or read the speech felt anything but admiration for it.  It is very astonishing to me how some Democrats in the Senate themselves bring these artificial difficulties on the Administration, and it distresses me not a little.  Mr. Bryan read your speech yesterday to the Cabinet, who greatly enjoyed it.  It was at once sent to the Senate and I hope will there be given out for publication in full.

     I want you to feel constantly how I value the intelligent and
     effective work you are doing in London.  I do not know what I should
     do without you.

The fight is on now about the tolls, but I feel perfectly confident of winning in the matter, though there is not a little opposition in Congress—­more in the House, it strangely turns out, where a majority of the Democrats originally voted against the exemption, than in the Senate, where a majority of the Democrats voted for it.  The vicissitudes of politics are certainly incalculable.

     With the warmest regard, in necessary haste,

     Cordially and faithfully yours,
     WOODROW WILSON.

     HON.  WALTER H. PAGE,
     American Embassy,
     London, England.

     To the President

     American Embassy, London,
     March 2, 1914.

     DEAR MR. PRESIDENT: 

     I have read in the newspapers here that, after you had read my
     poor, unfortunate speech, you remarked to callers that you regarded
     it as proper.  I cannot withhold this word of affectionate thanks.

I do not agree with you, heartily as I thank you.  The speech itself, in the surroundings and the atmosphere, was harmless and was perfectly understood.  But I ought not to have been betrayed into forgetting that the subject was about to come up for fierce discussion in Congress. . . .

Of course, I know that the whole infernal thing is cooked up to beat you, if possible.  But that is the greater reason why you must win.  I am willing to be sacrificed, if that will help—­for forgetting the impending row or for any reason you will.

I suppose we’ve got to go through such a struggle to pull our Government and our people up to an understanding of our own place in the world—­a place so high and big and so powerful that all the future belongs to us.  From an economic point of view, we are the world; and from a political point of view also.  How any man who sees this can have any feeling but pity for the Old World, passes understanding.  Our role is to treat it most courteously and to make it respect our character—­nothing more.  Time will do the rest.