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April 9, 1916.
Sidney Brooks called and remained an<del>d</del> hour and a half. He got some
material from me for a cable. and we discussed the foreign situation pretty
thoroughly. He said my frequent visits to Washington were a source of com-
fort to the Allies, for they had confidence in me and but little in the Pres-
ident. In the event of a break, he urged me to try to steer the President
straight in what he said, believing he might do the right thing in the wrong
way. Brooks seems anxious to serve the President and to be his friend, al-
though he is impatient with his slowness of decision. He forgets, as do
others, that the President has the responsibility and the welfare and happi-
ness of a hundred million people largely in his hands. It is easy enough <del/>
for one without responsibility to sitdown over a cigar and a glass of wine
and decide what is best to be done.
In the event of a break, Brooks thought I should advise the British
Government about who should take over British interests in enemy countries.
I suggested that this would be impertinence. He thought otherwise, because
he believed I knew more about conditions in enemy countries than any person
connected with his Government. When I declined to do this, he asked if I
had any objection to his cabling my conclusions without mentioning my name,
further than to state that the best American opinion was, if a break came be-
tween the United States and Germany, Norway would be the best country to
take charge of the interests of the Allies in the enemy countries.
In discussing the matter with him, I eliminated Spain because of the
intrigue Germany is now carrying on with her. I eliminated Switzerland,
Holland and Denmark for the reason they are too near Germany to assert them-
selves. Sweden would not do because of her pronounced pro-German sentiment
| Title | ms_0466_s2_v4_142 |
| Transcript |
April 9, 1916.
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