763.72/3761½b
The Secretary of State to Colonel E. M. House
My Dear Colonel: I send you a letter33 which I received sometime ago from William J. Curtis one of the senior members of the firm of Sullivan & Cromwell who is, as you probably know, a very sincere Democrat and an ardent supporter of the President. I thought you would be interested in reading it but have not felt that I could send it to the President. What do you think?
It is needless to say how gratifying it is to see with what unanimous approval and enthusiasm the President’s message has been received throughout the country. I believe it to be one of the greatest, if not the greatest state paper issued by a President of the United States. As you may imagine, I was personally gratified to see the President’s attitude in regard to democracy as essential for a permanent peace in this world. You know how earnestly I have supported that thesis for the past four months. On every occasion when opportunity has offered I have urged it upon the President and endeavored to wean him away from a peace based upon force. Fortunately the recent Russian revolution relieved the Entente Powers of inconsistency in their attitude of waging a war in the interest of human liberty. I think it has worked out most splendidly.
Will you please return Mr. Curtis’ letter after you have read it?
Faithfully yours,
- Not enclosed with file copy of this letter.↩