The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-12-22
COL. B. N. HOUSE
GOING TO EUROPE
FOR WAR SECRETS
Mission Will BE TO Put Presi.
dent Directly in Touch With
y. s. Diplomats.
ERRAND HAS NOTHING
TO DO WITH PEACE

WI. ~ WuTu VI F1Oubr, no u
from President Wilson. 10 going within
two weeks to the b~eiligerent countries
Of Europe to say to our Ambassadors
what the President would like to say
personally II he were able. and to get
from the Ambassadors all the informa-
ton growing out Of seventeen months
Of war that the President believes he
ought to know.
Col. Houses mission 10 to put the
President as directly In touch with the
diplomatic representatives of the United
States as II they were brought to the
White House from their posts. or as IL
the President were able to 20 to them.
Col. House received a reporter for
THE Sun last night in his apartments
at IFS East Fifty third street.-the
apartments mat have become famous rs
the Little White House in New York"
In the small white ~panelled library Col.
House a asked II he had read the
news sent from Washington yesterday
that he WAS to 80 to Europe at the
pose OF ~canvassing n reporting on
peace prospects.
Not . Peace Miusioa.
II have.' said the Colonel. This
much IL true about the story: ! Am
going to Europe. but my mission Is en-.
tirely apart from the peace situation. II
there Is any peace situation. Every
country to which l am going understands
perfectly that ! do not appear as a peace
pleDipOtentlAry q agent or Intermediary
In any sense whatever. Every nation to
which ] shall go knows perfectly that
] will have no peace suggestions TO make
m that l DO not expect any to be made:
You cannot make that o emphatic
I have thought II best to write out n
formal statement, and l desire TO gay
that the statement means exactly what
II says, with no IFS or 'ands' Or how.
evers' about It,"
The formal statement issued by Col
House was IA follows:
81 am going to Europe at the request
of the President and Secretary Lansing
for the purpose Of taking information
To some OF our Ambassadors In order
that they may have a more intimate
knowledge OF this Governments attitude
regarding certain phases of pending In
ternational questions. and In order to
obtain from them their points OF view.
ut is thought inadvisable to bring
home at th.s time n of u Ambassa.
0OIS tIt
Il has been found impossible to convey
or to obtain by cable or correspondence
quite the correct atmosphere.
II hope to return within six or eight
weeks"
In further conversation Col House
made II plain that m repetition oil
statements to the effect that he was
going to Europe on a peace mission
would b. ~d;stasteful TO the President and
TO himself. AZ beLhs not merely an un'
true summary OF the Presidents purpose
but as a guess unjustitied by the hare
facts Of the wal situation.
THE SUN liz able to state tina, for the
present. at least. President Wilson con-
templates no action Whatever In the way
of Offering himself AZ an intermediary
or In the way of making any suggestions
to foreign Governments. and that he does
not purpose to sound any po entat
or Foreign Office on what might be ac'
ceptable to him or Il in he way of peace
terms.
Along this line II Is also true that
me President feels that recent event
have demonstrated the unllkeliness OF
peace proffers being agreeable 70 a
number Of the belligereu, nations. For
The present the President is entirely
concerned with the satisfactory sIIu.
AEoils ~ pe NV fltsA
gravely concern this country n which
have little or nothing TO do with the
hopes or ambitions OF the nations al
war. That. In a nutshell. is why Col
House Is to make another trip 10 Flu.
rope.
Would Not Discuss Ford.
For publication or quotation Col
House would not discuss Henry Ford's
pacific venture or the less sensational
moves made by other pacifsts and peace
propagandists. but 1t seemed to be en-.
tirely plain that the Colonel is no, fol
lowing any such blind trails.
Col. House went to Europe at the re.
quest of the President last summer
visiting London, Paris. Berlin and The
Hague. In one way or another he con.
ferred with the really important persons
In the Governments Of b%el'igerent coun
tries. obtained for the Presidents private
ear a first hand view OF the situation
and reported to the President. It has al.
ways been assumed. that no prospects
for peace existed.
Among Col. Houses callers last nigh,
were lgnace Paderewski. the pianist
h a interested himself so activci,
In he cause of distressed Poland. Later
DIR Cary 7. Grayson. u. :. NJ. President
Wilson'S physician and friend. was e
see the Colonel by special appointment.
Col. House was expected to sal
"w!thin a fortnight" Persons In thi,
| city who were kecnly interested In IN,
news OF his going concluded that he Il
to walt until the crisis with Austria
Hungary resolves itself into renewe,
friendly relations or into open rupture