Thomas Nelson Page to Woodrow Wilson
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My dear Mr. President
You will have recieved by telegram some account of the great demonstration of yesterday made by the people of Rome as an expression of their appreciation of what America has done for Italy under your guidance in this hour of Italy's need. And I am sending by this pouch a formal report on the proceedings of yesterday together with the speech which I delivered to the vast crowd which filled the Piazza San Bernardo in front of the Chancery and of those delivered by Don Prospero Colonna, the Mayor of Rome, by Signor Barzilai, the ranking Deputy in the Chamber from Rome, and by Captain La Guardia, our American Member of Congress of Italian blood, who is at present assistant commander at the American Aviation School at Foggia.
No formal account, however, can give any idea of what the demonstration really was. I have never seen but one equal to it since I came to Italy and that was the demonstration of May 14th, on the Sunday before Italy declared war, a step which was actually caused in large part by that demonstration. It is not too much to say that yesterday all of Rome that is interested to have this war brought to a triumphant conclusion was out either in the procession, which itself was, I am told, several miles long, or as interested and, I believe, sympathetic spectators and to some extent participants. Moreover, I am assured that this demonstration was a spontaneous one in response to the appeal which was made it by the committee or committees which first suggested it as an expression of appreciation of what you and our country under your lead have done for Italy in this hour of her peril and sacrifice. The secretary of the Mayor informed me today when I called on the latter in due form to express appreciation of his coming with the whole Municipal Council of Rome to the American Embassy yesterday, that in his recollection he had never seen such a spontaneous demonstration as that of yesterday.
The fact is that your message to the Congress of December 4th, created a profound impression throughout Italy. No other message of yours, not even that of April 2nd, and certainly nothing else that I can recall, made such an impression. It went straight to the heart of the Italian people and it has had an extraordinary inspiriting effect, as it may well have had.
Italy has unquestionably felt that her efforts in this war have not been wholly appreciated. She has been aided with funds and food, besides other supplies; but what she wanted was recognition of her personal sacrifices, especially on the field of battle, and this step of yours, followed as it was by that of our whole people, has touched her profoundly. She felt before and there were those who were careful to see that she should feel, that our being at war with Germany and not with Austria was in some sort a declaration that we were not in sympathy with her and now when she had lost so much in men, material, and prestige, that you should come with all America at your back to her assistance, and, when we were distant and safe, should take on her prime enemy as our enemy, her people have suddenly realized in a way that they had never dreamed of before the high plane on which you have placed this war.
Two honors have been proposed to you, both of which I believe will ere long be carried into effect. One is to name a street after you. The other is to present to you the freedom of the Eternal City. There is no higher honor than this that the people of Rome can bestow and I feel sure that there is no honor which Rome could bestow on you today which she would not bestow if she could.
The situation here in Italy is I think still very serious. The first seriousness results from the determination which Germany and Austria have united in to overwhelm Italy and which there is still serious danger of their accomplishing. The second results from the want of the necessaries of life here in Italy, grain and coal among the first. Unless both of these commodities can be furnished and very soon, Italy will collapse. There are cities in Italy that have been without more than bread enough to feed them for twenty-four hours and but for the incoming of a grain ship there would have been serious trouble. Unless this situation can be relieved there will be serious trouble before the winter is out.
I was very much disappointed that Colonel House could not come to Italy and I know that the Italians were greatly disappointed. Baron Sonnino told me that he had spoken to him twice and suggested his coming; but House thought himself unable to do so. I have just telegraphed you suggesting that he might defer his return home and be requested to come here. I feel that it will be one of the most important steps that he could take at this time. My telegram to him urging him to come has not been answered, so he may already have left france. However, I hope very much that I may catch him on this side of the ocean and get him to run down here if only for two or three days. I have written him very fully in regard to conditions here; but it is hard to explain everything on paper.
I would like in closing to wish you all the blessing that can be bestowed by Heaven on one who it seems to me is carrying at this moment the burden of the destinies of the future.
Your message to the Congress the other day and the declaration of war against Austria, in the way it was made, will, I believe, in the future be reckoned one of the great steps in winning this war for Democracy. You have never done anything better in your life than that message.
Believe me, my dear Mr. President, with all good wishes for the coming Christmas season and for the New Year, for you and yours,
Most sincerely your friend,Tho. Nelson Page
The President,
The White House,
Washington.
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