FAMOUS DIPLOMAT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23000, 30 March 1938, Page 13

FAMOUS DIPLOMAT

COLONEL HOUSE DEAD SERVICES TO AMERICA NEW YORK, March 28 The death has occurred of Colonel Edward M. House, who was confidential political adviser to the late President Wilson, and a noted figure two decades ago in world affairs. Colonel Edward M. House was President Woodrow Wilson's mentor,- and was a Texas planter. He long played a decisive part in American politics and had advised several S v ;ate Governors. He always contended that he could obtain most power ia politics by avoiding office. He had th<:: reputation, however, of never having used his power for ignoble or personal ends. In the spring of 1914, fearing lest ! war should break out ill. Europe, ! Colonel House went to Berlin and London to offer American aid in reaching

an agreement between Britain and Germany. He saw the ex-Kaiser and many high officials, and described the situation as ''militarism run stark mad." Wilhelm later admitted that his visit "almost prevented the world war." In London he found Lord Grey ready to any workable plan to preserve peAe.''Colonel House pursued his idea in a letter to the exKaiser, but before it reached /him the die was cast. Returning home, Colonel House, who had become convinced of the justice of the Allied cause, kept in close touch with the British and German Ambassadors, and thus helped to smooth American relations with the belligerents. In January, 1915, Mr. Wilson sent him abroad to study the possibility of mediation by the United States. The sinking of the Lu&itania, however, ruined all chance of success for this move. In the autumn Colonel House urged Mr. Wilson to suggest to the Allies that a peace conference should be summoned and that, if Germany refused the conference, the United States should enter the. war on the Allied side. In December, 1915, he went to Europe to make this but the Allies declined it. Colonel House? took a leading part m the 1916 campaign which led to Mr. Wilson s re-election. Ho was largelj responsible for the speech :.n which President first outliricd the project for a League of Nation. 1 !. In the autumn, 1917, Mr. Wilson nude him chief of a special* mission to* co-ordinate Allied war needs, and the conferences he attended iu London and Paris proved the turn of the tide. On his. return he helped Mr. Wilson to draft his f"Fourteon Points" and also drafted a tentative covenant for the League which formed the basis of Mr. Wilson's plan. 11l October, 1918, lui was again sent to Paris to represent tho United States on the Council, which granted the armistice to Germany, and eventually ho succeeded in pledging the Allies to the Fourteen as a peace programme. One of tho United States delegates to tho Peace Conference, Colonel House was a meml er of the commission which drafted tie League Covenant and settled the mandates system.