March 10, 1919

The Colonel is willing—indeed more than willing, he is eager—to accept our share of responsibility for the Armenian settlement, but he is not willing to go into it with our eyes shut. He has noted the increasing reluctance of our people to shoulder European responsibilities, and he is particularly averse to going into an Asiatic adventure which may lead us we know not whither. The problem has been with us for years, long before the outbreak of the war, but whenever it reaches the agenda it is sidetracked and placed in cold storage, where I fear it is likely to remain for a long time, if not forever.