That autocracies are a constant menace to world peace, that the United States owes it to its democratic tradition to take up arms against the enemy of free government, that in doing this, it was not making war upon the German people, but upon its imperialistic masters--these were the arguments which Page laid before the President in his letter of resignation, and these were the leading ideas in Mr.Wilson's address of April 2nd.

There are even sentences in Page's communication which seem to foreshadow Mr.Wilson's assertion that "The world must be made safe for democracy." This letter in itself sufficiently makes it clear that Page's correspondence, irritating in its later phases as it may have been, strongly influenced Mr.Wilson in his final determination on war.
On one point, indeed, Colonel House afterward called the Ambassador to account.

When America was preparing to raise armies by the millions and to spend its treasure by the billions, he reminded Page of his statement that the severance of diplomatic relations "would probably not cost us a man in battle nor any considerable treasure." Page's statement in this November letter merely reiterated a conviction which for more than a year he had been forcing upon the President and Colonel House--that the dismissal of Bernstorff would not necessarily imply war with Germany, but that it would in itself be enough to bring the war to an end.

On this point Page never changed his mind, as is evident from the letter which he wrote to Colonel House when this matter was called to his attention: _To Edward M.House_ London, June 29, 1917.
MY DEAR HOUSE: I never put any particular value on my own prophecies nor on anybody else's.

I have therefore no pride as a prophet.