CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR 



THE last of May, 1917, in response to a telegram 

 from Milholland urging me to come East to consider 

 a certain proposition which had just developed and 

 about which he wanted my advice, I left for Washing- 

 ton. There I learned that a new plan of interna- 

 tional adjustment looking toward peace had been 

 devised in financial circles. Nevertheless, after a 

 full discussion the details seemed impracticable to 

 me and to others, so that the matter was never made 

 public. 



During the day Milholland introduced me to Sena- 

 tor Weeks of Massachusetts, who that evening ave 

 at the New Willard Hotel a private dinner to Jules 

 Bache, a leading Wall Street broker, Milholland, 

 and myself. Senators Smoot of Utah and Carter of 

 Kansas were also present, as well as John Dwight, 

 the former Republican "whip" of the House. Next 

 day I went on to New York as Milholland's guest, 

 meeting then several of his friends, among them the 

 Rev. Richard Roberts, a man of unusual charm and 

 vigor, who recently won the Stanford audience from 

 our University pulpit. I also renewed acquaintance 

 with Frederick C. Howe, an enlightened and coura- 

 geous official, Norman Thomas, a young man with a 

 vision, and the progressive publisher, B. W. Huebsch. 



In company with Howe and a dozen or so operators 

 on Exchange, I had luncheon with Bache in Wall 

 Street. Most of those present took a gloomy view street 

 of the outlook, saying that the rapid expansion of 



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