E.M.  House.

It will be observed that Colonel House had taken the advice of Sir William Tyrrell, and had sailed directly to Germany on a German ship—­the Imperator.  Ambassador Gerard had made preparations for his reception in Berlin, and the American soon had long talks with Admiral von Tirpitz, Falkenhayn, Von Jagow, Solf, and others.  Von Bethmann-Hollweg’s wife died almost on the day of his arrival in Berlin, so it was impossible for him to see the Chancellor—­the man who would have probably been the most receptive to these peace ideas.  All the leaders of the government, except Von Tirpitz, gave Colonel House’s proposals a respectful if somewhat cynical hearing.  Von Tirpitz was openly and demonstratively hostile.  The leader of the German Navy simply bristled with antagonism at any suggestion for peace or disarmament or world cooeperation.  He consumed a large part of the time which Colonel House spent with him denouncing England and all its works.  Hatred of the “Island Kingdom” was apparently the consuming passion of his existence.  On the whole, Von Tirpitz thus made no attempt to conceal his feeling that the purpose of the House mission was extremely distasteful to him.  The other members of the Government, while not so tactlessly hostile, were not particularly encouraging.  The usual objections to disarmament were urged—­the fear of other Powers, the walled-in state of Germany, the vigilant enemies against which it was necessary constantly to be prepared and watchful.  Even more than the unsympathetic politeness of the German Cabinet the general atmosphere of Berlin was depressing to Colonel House.  The militaristic oligarchy was absolutely in control.  Militarism possessed not only the army, the navy, and the chief officers of state, but the populace as well.  One almost trivial circumstance has left a lasting impression on Colonel House’s mind.  Ambassador Gerard took him out one evening for a little relaxation.  Both Mr. Gerard and Colonel House were fond of target shooting and the two men sought one of the numerous rifle galleries of Berlin.  They visited gallery after gallery, but could not get into one.  Great crowds lined up at every place, waiting their turns at the target; it seemed as though every able-bodied man in Berlin was spending all his time improving his marksmanship.  But this was merely a small indication of the atmosphere of militarism which prevailed in the larger aspects of life.  Colonel House found himself in a strange place to preach international accord for the ending of war!

He had come to Berlin not merely to talk with the Cabinet heads; his goal was the Kaiser himself.  But he perceived at once a persistent opposition to his plan.  As he was the President’s personal representative, and carried a letter from the President to the Kaiser, an audience could not be refused—­indeed, it had already been duly arranged; but there was a quiet opposition to his consorting with the “All