Yet every naval officer who comes here, I understand, shares his views about practically every important naval problem or question.

I don't deserve the compliment (it's a very high one) that some of my secretaries sometimes pay me when they say that I am the only man they know who tries to tell the whole truth to our Government in favour of the Englishman as well as against him.

It is certain that American public opinion is universally supposed to suspect any American who tries to do anything with the British lion except to twist his tail--a supposition that I never believed to be true .-- But it is true that the mutual ignorance is as high as the Andes and as deep as the ocean.

Personal acquaintance removes it and nothing else will.
_To Arthur W.Page_ American Embassy, London, April 7, 1918.
DEAR ARTHUR: I daresay you remember this epic: Old Morgan's wife made butter and cheese; Old Morgan drank the whey.
There came a wind from West to East And blew Old Morgan away.
I'm Old Morgan and your mother got ashamed of my wheyness and made the doctor prescribe cream for me.

There's never been such a luxury, and anybody who supposes that I am now going to get fat and have my cream stopped simply doesn't know me.