a good answer," he said, as he looked back at
the episode in the summer of 1918, when hundreds of thousands of
Americans were landing in France every month. A scrap of his writing
records a discussion at a dinner party on this question: "If you could
have a month in any time and any country, what time and what country
would you choose?" The majority voted for England in the time of
Elizabeth, but Page's preference was for Athens in the days of Pericles.
Then came a far more interesting debate: "If you could spend a second
lifetime when and where would you choose to spend it?" On this Page had
not a moment's hesitation: "In the future and in the U.S.A.!" and he
upheld his point with such persuasiveness that he carried the whole
gathering with him. His love of anything suggesting America came out on
all occasions. One of his English hostesses once captivated him by
serving corn bread at a luncheon. "The American Ambassador and corn
bread!" he exclaimed with all the delight of a schoolboy. Again he was
invited, with another distinguished American, to serve as godfather at
the christening of the daughter of an American woman who had married an
Englishman. When the ceremony was finished he leaned over the font
toward his fellow godfather. "Born on July 4th," he exclaimed, "of an
American mother! And we two Yankee godfathers! We'll see that this child
is taught the Constitution of the United States!"

One day an American duchess came into Page's office.

"I am going home for a little visit and I want a passport," she said.

"But you don't get a passport here," Page replied. "You must go to the
Foreign Office."

His visitor was indignant.

"Not at all," she answered. "I am an American: you know that I am; you
knew my father. I want an American passport."

Page patiently explained the citizenship and naturalization laws and
finally convinced his caller that she was now a British subject and must
have a British passport. As this American duchess left the room he
shook at her a menacing forefinger.

"Don't tell me," was the Ambassador's parting shot, "that you thought
that you could have your Duke and Uncle Sam, too!"

The judgments which Page passed on men and things were quick and they
were not infrequently wise. One of these judgments had historic
consequences the end of which cannot even yet be foreseen. On the
outbreak of hostilities, as already related, an American Relief
Committee was organized in London to look