Edward Mandell House

Edward Mandell House acted as an intermediary between President Woodrow Wilson and German ambassador Johann Heinrich von Bernstorff during the Arabic crisis of 1915. In a letter sent from New York on 26 September, House reported that Bernstorff had asked how to proceed before meeting Secretary of State Robert Lansing. House relayed proposals for assurances, arbitration, and compensation, together with the question of whether Germany must formally disavow the sinking. ¹

House’s access to the President grew out of politics. Born in Houston in 1858, he managed family property and helped organize campaigns for a succession of Texas governors. The title “Colonel” came from an honorary appointment by Governor James Stephen Hogg. House met Wilson in 1911, helped his presidential campaign, and declined an official appointment after the election while becoming a trusted adviser on foreign affairs. ²

During the war, Wilson sent House on missions to Europe. He later served as one of the American commissioners at the Paris Peace Conference and headed the delegation while Wilson was temporarily away. His influence declined after their relationship deteriorated in 1919. ^{2, 3}