The diplomatic correspondence in general seemed to me very dull stuff, and, after wading through it all day, on several nights as I went to bed the thought came to me whether this sort of activity were really worth a man's while." Anything which affected British shipping adversely touched Great Britain in a sensitive spot; and Page had not been long in London before he perceived the acute nature of the Panama situation.

In July, 1913, Col.
Edward M.House reached the British capital.

A letter of Page's to Sir Edward Grey gives such a succinct description of this new and influential force in American public life that it is worth quoting: To Sir Edward Grey Coburg Hotel, London.
[No date.] DEAR SIR EDWARD: There is an American gentleman in London, the like of whom I do not know.

Mr.Edward M.House is his name.

He is "the silent partner" of President Wilson--that is to say, he is the most trusted political adviser and the nearest friend of the President.