Arizona republican., 1917-08-21
He said, further. that the statesmen


 of both of the groups of nations at war had declared that it was not part of the purpose they had in mind to crush their antagonists, and he said that it must be implied from these as- surances that the peace to come must be "a peace without victory"
 In the course of his address Presi- dent Wilson remarked that statesmen Everywhere are agreed that there should be a united, independent and autonomous Poland" In another place he said: 50 far as practicable, more over, every great people in the strug- gle toward full development of it's resources and it's powers should be assured q direct outlet to the highways Of the sea" and, where this could not be done by cession of territory, that it could be arranged by the neutraliza- tion of direct rights of way. He closed by proposing. in effect. that the nations Of the world should adopt the Monroe Doctrine. and that no nation should seek to explain it's policy for any other nation or people.
 
 Cf January 31 from Germany, in my conyersation> with Chancellor von Bethmann- Hollweg, he referred to this peace note of December IS and the peace speech of January P of the president.
 must say here that on my return to Germany 1 went very far in assur- ing the chancellor and other members of the government of the president desire to see peace established in the world. I told them that I believed the president was ready to go very far to- l ward forcing any nation which refused a reasonable peace; but 1 also i'm pressed on all the members of the gov ernment with whom l came in contact my belief that the election had not in any way altered the policy of the president, and I warned them of the danger to our good relations if ruth less submarine warfare should be resumed
 !. Won Hollweg's Verdict The chancellor, however, at this in terview after January 31, said that he had been compelled to take up ruthless submarine war because it was evident that President Wilson could do noth- ing toward peace. He spoke particu- , larly of the presidents speech of Janu- ary P, declaring that in it the presi- dsnt had made it plain that he con- | sidered the answer of the entente powers to his peace note formed 1 basis for peace, thing impossible for Germany even to consider
 The chancellor said further (and ! this was criticism I heard not only from him but from many Germans) that when the president spoke of | united .and independent Poland he | evidently meant to take away from Germany that part of Poland which ]! had been incorporated in the kingdom l of Prussia and give 1t to this new and i independent Kingdom, thereby bring ] ing the eastern frontier of Germany l within two hours by motor from Der | lin; and, further when the president | spoke of giving each nation a highway l to the sea, that he meant the German l port of Dantzig should be turned over | to this new state of Poland, thereby l not only taking a Prussian port, but | cutting the extreme eastern part of I Prussia from the remainder of the | country.
 l I replied that these objections ap- l peared to me very frivolous; that the l president, of course, like a clever law | yer endeavoring to gain his end, which was peace, had said that ali parties | were apparently agreed that there | should be a peace; if Germany was | fighting merely a defensive war; as l she had always claimed, that she l should be greatly delighted when the l If America was in favor of peace without victory-which meant, of l course, that Germany should be se- l cured from that crushing and dismem- | berment which Germany's statesmen l had stated so often that they feared. I continued that I was sure, when l the president spoke of the united and | independent state of Poland, that he 1 had, of course, not had reference uo l Poland at any particular period of it's | history, but undoubtedly meant that 1 Poland as constituted by Germany and l Austria themselves. / In referring to the right of nation to have access to ! the sea, l held that the president had 1 in mind {. Russia and the Dardanelles,
 rather than any attempt to take a | Prussian port for the benefit of | Poland