I will not be the instrument of a perfectly gratuitous and ineffective insult to this patient and fair and friendly government and people who in my time have done us many kindnesses and never an injury but Carden[97], and who sincerely try now to meet our wishes.

It would be too asinine an act ever to merit forgiveness or ever to be forgotten.

I should blame myself the rest of my life.

It would grieve Sir Edward more than anything except this war.

It would knock the management of foreign affairs by this Administration into the region of sheer idiocy.