The Ambassador’s two sons then gently pressed upon their father the fact that he must resign.  Weak as he was, the Ambassador was still obdurate.

“No,” he said.  “It’s quitting on the job.  I must see the war through.  I can’t quit until it’s over.”

But Sir William Osler, Page’s physician and devoted friend, exercised his professional authority and insisted on the resignation.  Finally Page consented.

     To the President

     American Embassy, London,
     August 1, 1918.

     MY DEAR MR. PRESIDENT: 

I have been struggling for a number of months against the necessity to write you this note; for my doctors now advise me to give up all work for a period—­my London doctor says for six months.  I have a progressive digestive trouble which does not yield to the usual treatment.  It’s the war, five London winters, and the unceasing labour which is now the common lot.  I am ashamed to say that these have brought me to something near a breakdown.  I have had Sir William Osler as well as two distinguished London physicians for several months.  The digestive trouble has brought other ills in its train; and I am assured that they will yield to freedom from responsibility and complete rest for a time in a dry, warm climate and that they are not likely to yield to anything else.

I see nothing else to do then but to bow to the inevitable and to ask you to be kind enough to relieve me and to accept my resignation to take effect as soon as I can go to Washington and make a somewhat extended report on the work here, which, I hope, will be of some use to the Department; and I ought to go as soon as possible—­say, in September.  I cannot tell you how great my disappointment is that this request has become necessary.

If the world and its work were so organized that we could do what we should like to do, I should like a leave of absence till winter be broken and then to take up my duties here again till the war end.  But that, of course, is impracticable.  And it is now a better time to change Ambassadors than at any time since the war began.  My five years’ service has had two main phases—­the difficult period of our neutrality and the far easier period since we came into the war.  But when the war ends, I fear that there will be again more or less troublesome tasks arising out of commercial difficulties.

But for any reasonable period the Embassy’s work fortunately can now go on perfectly well with Mr. Laughlin as Charge—­until my successor can get here.  The Foreign Office like him, he is persona grata to all other Departments of the Government, and he has had a long experience; and he is most conscientious and capable.  And the organization is in excellent condition.

     I venture to ask you to have a cable message sent to me (to be
     deciphered by me alone).  It will require quite a little time to
     pack up and to get away.