The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-05-17
BRITISH KEPT NO
STATE SECRETS
FROM WILSON
Foreign Minister Assures
Commons of Complete
Concord With L. s.
READY FOR HONEST PEACE
Asquith Glad to Hear Balfour
Say No True Offer Would
Be Spurncd.

LONDON May 1s.-The pacifists ant
| advocates Of peace by negotiation made
. determined effort to-day in the Hous'
Of Commons to bring UP the subject o.
peace by questioning the Government
ninuteiy in regard to the famous let
ter Of Emperor Charles to his, brother
: in-law. Prince Sixtus Of Bourbon, now
serving with tho French colors. writer
about a year ago. in which he spoke
Of the just claims Of France to Alsace
and Lorraine.
Foreign Minister Balfour replied at
length to the questions, stating again
as he has repeatedly before. that Eng.
land was ready 10 listen to any peace
proposal made in good faith by an ac-
credited representative Of a belligerent
enemy. but none such had been made
yet.
II must remind the House, however"
he continued. that there Is a very
natural tendency to treat this subject as
~ 1t were one In which the British Gov
eminent alone were concerned and that
the opposition or critics Of the day had
the right In the pubi.c interest and their
own to extract the last drop Of informa- :
ton which 1t was in the power Of the
Government to give. That might be
tho natural mood for the House to be
in when discussing ordinary subjects OF
domestic controversy. but it Is not the
mood suited to the delicate question Of
international policy.
In international aHairs II 10 not .
good thing necessarily TO discourage in
formal attempts at conversations. But
we have never At any time initiated
conversations Of that sort We have
never turned down conversations when
other people wished them.
Mlst Act With Allies.
Elf any representative OF any beilig.
erent country desires seriously TO lay be-
fore us any proposals We are ready to
listen to them. OF course. We are not
going to deal with them without the cog
nizance Of our allies. The mere fact that
such conversations are OF an informal
character makes that a very improper
subject for discussion in the House That
phaticaliy and especially true Of the sub
ject now under discussion.
Tho letter to which public attention
is directed was a private letter written
by Emperor Charles to relative
(Prince Sixtus OF Bourbon) and con-
veyed by him to President Poincare and
.he French Premier under seal o. the
strictest secrecy, but with no permis-
sion to communicate It to any one except
the Sovereign and Premier Of this coun-
try. The letter was communicated to
the French and English Premiers under
these pledges.
while ! cannot conceive OF a more
inoonven!en; method Of dealing with a
great transaction, the inconvenience in
this case was not due to any wish on the
part Of the British Government or the
British Premier, Directly YOU depart
from the ordinary method Of conducting
International Affairs you land yourself
In inevitable difficulties.
II was in America at the time Of these
transactions. and as they were over
when returned. ! did not 20 into them
as intimately as I might have done
HAD Conscience in WILSON.
As to whether any person had heen
Informed or these negotiations MI Bal
four said that the American Government
was AT the time no better INFORMED o.
the facts regarding Emperor Charles's
letter thaa he was himself. but
n sny ono supposed that on that account
=. haa sv.- sbown any wan, n, conn.
10 va. ~ no,.,S
aehce W Tue "o'e'n'"e"' VI res'uo"' VI
the United states ne was under q COM
Dlete delusion. He had no secrets from
President Wilson. Every thought he had
On the war or the diplomacy connected
nth tha war was as omen to pre,idan,
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