so many big things are at stake nor another time when our country can play so large or important a part in saving the world.  Hold up your end.  I’m doing my best here.

I think of you engaged in the peaceful work of instructing the people, and I think of the garden and crocuses and the smell of early spring in the air and the earth and—­push on; I’ll be with you before we grow much older or get much grayer; and a great and prosperous and peaceful time will lie before us.  Pity me and hold up your end for real American participation.  Get together?  Yes; but the way to get together is to get in!

     Affectionately,

     W.H.P.

     To David F. Houston[54]

     Embassy of the United States of America,
     April 1, 1917.

     DEAR HOUSTON: 

     The Administration can save itself from becoming a black blot on
     American history only by vigorous action—­acts such as these: 

Putting our navy to work—­vigorous work—­wherever and however is wisest.  I have received the Government’s promise to send an Admiral here at once for a conference.  We must work out with the British Navy a programme whereby we can best help; and we must carry it without hesitancy or delay.

Sending over an expeditionary military force immediately—­a small one, but as large as we can, as an earnest of a larger one to come.  This immediate small one will have a good moral effect; and we need all the moral reinstatement that we can get in the estimation of the world; our moral stock is lower than, I fear, any of you at home can possibly realize.  As for a larger expeditionary force later—­even that ought to be sent quite early.  It can and must spend some time in training in France, whatever its training beforehand may have been.  All the military men agree that soldiers in France back of the line can be trained in at least half the time that they can be trained anywhere else.  The officers at once take their turn in the trenches, and the progress that they and their men make in close proximity to the fighting is one of the remarkable discoveries of the war.  The British Army was so trained and all the colonial forces.  Two or three or four hundred thousand Americans could be sent over as soon almost as they are organized and equipped-provided transports and a continuous supply of food and munition ships can be got.  They can be trained into fighting men—­into an effective army—­in about one third of the time that would be required at home.

     I suppose, of course, we shall make at once a large loan to the
     Allies at a low rate of interest.  That is most important, but that
     alone will not save us.  We must also fight.

     All the ships we can get—­build, requisition, or confiscate—­are
     needed immediately.