It was a defeat for Mr.Lansing, of course, but he had no alternative.

The relief that Page felt is shown in the following memorandum, written soon after the tension had ceased: * * * * * "That insistence on the Declaration entire came near to upsetting the whole kettle of fish.

It put on me the task of insisting on a general code--at a time when the fiercest war in history was every day becoming fiercer and more desperate--which would have prevented the British from putting on their contraband list several of the most important war materials--accompanied by a proposal that would have angered every neutral nation through which supplies can possibly reach Germany and prevented this Government from making friendly working arrangements with them; and, after Sir Edward Grey had flatly declined for these reasons, I had to continue to insist.

I confess it did look as if we were determined to dictate to him how he should conduct the war--and in a way that distinctly favoured the Germans.
"I presented every insistence; for I should, of course, not have been excusable if I had failed in any case vigorously to carry out my instructions.

But every time I plainly saw matters getting worse and worse; and I should have failed of my duty also if I had not so informed the President and the Department.