The Political Aspect.
Naturally, I sought to get a grasp of the American political situation without delay. This meant, in practice, making the acquaintance of the most influential people in the Government, in Congress and in society. Mr. Charles R. Crane was an admirable auxiliary, for he knew nearly everybody whom I wanted to meet and was “close to” President Wilson. His son, Mr. Richard Crane, afterwards the first American Minister to Czechoslovakia, was a Secretary of Mr. Lansing, the Head of the State Department. Besides Mr. Lansing I must mention Mr. Phillips, the first Assistant-Secretary of State; Mr. Polk, a Counsellor of the State Department; Mr. Long, Assistant-Secretary of State; Mr. Baker, Secretary for War; and Mr. Lane, Secretary for the Interior. Finally, through the good offices of Mr. Crane, I came into touch with Colonel House and President Wilson.
Our task was to gain the favour of the public, and in this we succeeded. Before long I was able to place interviews and articles in the largest and most influential daily papers, weeklies and reviews, and to establish personal relations with prominent writers of all opinions. Mr. William Hard, whom I saw frequently, Mr. Ira Bennett, Mr. Dixon of Boston and Mr. Martin of Cleveland I mention by way of example, for from a fuller list I might inadvertently omit some deserving names. To them all, and to American journalism in general, I owe a debt of gratitude.
My work obliged me to visit the principal cities, to get into personal touch with people and to look up old acquaintances; and, in Washington, to cultivate the society of the Senators and Congressmen of the two chief parties and of all shades of political opinion-including, of course, Mr. Hitchcock, Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee of the Senate—and Republicans like Senator Lodge whom I sought to inform. Senator Root I had already met in Russia. I had, too, the advantage of knowing the Preparatory Committee which, under the Chairmanship of Professor Mezes, was working upon material and memoranda in view of the peace negotiations and for the President. On behalf of the Czechs, Professor Kerner worked with him. Later on, the journalistic staff which Mr. Creel got together for the Peace Conference acquired great importance. I was in touch with him and, in fact, with all the principal organizations and institutions. But I had little leisure to visit the Universities or to see men of learning,
