1918: Danger, Victory, and Confusions

Abstract

Anglo-American relations started the new year with the removal of the last of the ‘old’ order of diplomats who shaped relations between the two nations. Spring Rice’s recall was not unexpected. He had offered to resign at the outbreak of war in 1914, and discussed with Balfour the possibility of resigning during the Foreign Secretary’s trip in the spring of 1917. He had written to the Foreign Office in the autumn of that year suggesting that Lord Robert Cecil would be an appropriate person to succeed him On each of these occasions Spring Rice stated that he understood that relations with the United States had become so important that Britain ought to be represented by someone much closer to Lloyd George’s government than he was. His knowledge of the country and its people meant that he understood the value of having a ‘big name’ in the embassy in Washington. In addition, Spring Rice’s health was failing throughout this period and the combination of the strain of his duties and his illness made him even more short-tempered and explosive than before. Even so, the curt telegram recalling him for consultations, but effectively dismissing him, hurt him badly.¹ In his usual stoical manner, he dismissed the matter as inconsequential and left the city on 13 January.² Before he left both Lloyd George and Wilson gave their ‘war aims’ speeches.