President Wilson's emissary was
quoted as describing Viscount Grey,
then British secretary of state for
foreign affairs as "the most tractable
English statesman." It was said he
declared Earl Grey was "eminently
suited and also ready to negotiate,
and his imminent retirement from the
British cabinet would not only be
undesirable but liable to prove fatal
to Germany."
Colonel House was alleged to have
told Dr. Solf there was a strong anti
American feeling in England at that
time and that "Germany was not
aware of the extent to which un
friendly notes were being exchanged
between Washington and London."
He was quoted as expressing regret
that "no arbitrator . was available
since England had indicated her lack
of faith in America's impartiality."
"Sentiment in England then under
went a complete reversal, it was said,
and it was out of the question to
bring up the issue of a revision of
the doctrine of the freedom of the
seas..
A memorandum of a conversation
Colonel House had with Dr. Theobald
Bethmann-Hollweg, at that time im
perial chancellor, has also been pub
lished by the commission. The chan
cellor deplored the fact that Count
Von Bernstorff and Dr. Dernburg had
exploited the issue of the freedom of
the seas, which he said "has injured
Germany's cause in the United
States." Colonel House was said to
have given the chancellor the im
pression that Earl Grey had indicated
the matter could be discussed but that
Premier Lloyd George had peremp
torily rejected the suggestion.
