be just and firm and preserve our own self-respect and keep alive the fear that other nations have of us; and we ought to have the courage to make the Department of State more than a bureau of complaints.  We must learn to say “No” even to a Gawdamighty independent American citizen when he asks an improper or impracticable question.  Public Opinion in the United States consists of something more than the threats of Congressmen and the bleating of newspapers; it consists of the judgment of honourable men on courageous and frank actions—­a judgment that cannot be made up till action is taken.

     Heartily yours,
     W.H.P.

     To Edward M. House

     American Embassy, London, Sept. 8, 1915.

     (This is not prudent.  It is only true—­nothing more.)

     DEAR HOUSE: 

I take it for granted that Dumba[4] is going, of course.  But I must tell you that the President is being laughed at by our best friends for his slowness in action.  I hardly ever pick up a paper without seeing some sarcastic remark.  I don’t mean they expect us to come into the war.  They only hoped we would be as good as our word—­would regard another submarine attack on a ship carrying Americans as an unfriendly act and would send Bernstorff home.  Yet the Arabic and now the Hesperian have had no effect in action.  Bernstorff’s personal note to Lansing[5], even as far as it goes, does not bind his Government.

The upshot of all this is that the President is fast losing in the minds of our best friends here all that he gained by his courageous stand on the Panama tolls.  They feel that if he takes another insult—­keeps taking them—­and is satisfied with Bernstorff’s personal word, which is proved false in four days—­he’ll take anything.  And the British will pay less attention to what we say.  That’s inevitable.  If the American people and the President accept the Arabic and the Hesperian and do nothing to Dumba till the Government here gave out his letter, which the State Department had (and silently held) for several days—­then nobody on this side the world will pay much heed to anything we say hereafter.

This, as I say, doesn’t mean that these (thoughtful) people wish or expect us to go to war.  They wish only that we’d prove ourselves as good as the President’s word.  That’s the conservative truth; we’re losing influence more rapidly than I supposed it were possible.

     Dumba’s tardy dismissal will not touch the main matter, which is
     the rights of neutrals at sea, and keeping our word in action.

     Yours sincerely,
     W.H.P.

     P.S.  They say it’s Mexico over again—­watchful waiting and nothing
     doing.  And the feeling grows that Bryan has really conquered, since
     his programme seems to prevail.

     To Edward M. House