Evening star., 1920-03-07
BY ISAAC DON LEVINE.

BY ISAAC DON LEVINE.
tIhis and the two succeeding articles Of the
same series present secret correspondence OF
Se:e. soe ~
The documents TINS made public for the first
time were obtained bg Mr.. Levine in the gov
ernnept archives In Moscow on his recent
visit to soviet Russis.)
Copyright, 1s2O.)
Here begins the story in three chap
ters Of President Wilson's famous note
of December Is. 1916. as viewed by
Swedish. British and Russian diplo-
mats respectively. The note in ques-
peace note of President Wilson. in
which he sought to call out from all
the nations now at war such an
avowal of their respective views as to
the terms upon which the war might
be concluded as would make it
possible frankly to compare them"
In the archives Of the foreign minis
try of the former czar's government.
now kept in Moscow. there are some
papers dealing with the United States.
Among these l found copies of conf
Dental reports from the Swedish min
lister and the British and Russian am
bassadors at Washington to their re-
spective governments. as well as a
few memoranda exchanged between
Arthur Balfour. British secretary of
foreign affairs. and Buchanan, the
British ambassador in Petrograd.
There are some Illuminating sidelights
in the reports Of interest to the Amer
lean people. OF especial interest are
the papers showing the actions of the
allies to the American policy in those
momentous weeks OF December, 1916,
and January, 1917, when the United
States was vacillating between peace
and war.
Word FROM Col. House Travels Far.
The first chapter in the story. pre-
sented today, discloses that President
Wilson's note of December IS had been
planned as early as the beginning Of
October. Col House had SO informed
the Dutch minister in Washington. M.
Van Rappard. The following is re-
production of a confidential conversa-
tion between House and Rappard. Min
lister Ekengren of Sweden reported this
conversation TO his government in
Stockholm. with the comment that the
election in favor Of President Wilson.
Whatever basis Minister Ekengren may
have had for this theory. he was wrong
in regard to the actual time Of publica-
tion of the note, for 1t was not given out
until after th the % election: However; the the
hint that the entrance Of Rumania into
the war made the moment inopportune
that previously had been selected by the
President for the publication OF the
note.
Minister Ekengren's report was con-
sidered by the Swedish foreign, minister
important enough to be transmitted to
the Swedish legation in Petrograd. 1t
was sent with the following note:
Stockholm, October 90. 1916.-No.
Brendstrom. Petrograd-Mr. Minister:
have the honor Of transmitting for your
secret Information a copy Of a report
from Minister Ekengren regarding
Americas proposal to mediate peace.
Wtlson's PPoposed Peace Exert.
The text of Minister Ekengren's re-
port to the Swedish minister OF Tor
eign affairs. NJ. Wallenberg. follows:
Your Excellency: l learned one OF
NJ. Van Rappard, who recently re-
turned from q trip through the north
ern states. where he met Col. House
an intimate friend of the president
who was sent last winter into the
warning European countries. M. van
versation on the status of foreign poll
tics. and expressed the supposition
that II an opportunity arose the Presl-
dent, without hesitation. would pro-
pose himself in the capacity OF peace
mediator in the present world connlct.
Col. House confirmed the correctness
of this opinion and conf1dentially com
municated to my informant that
plan was under discussion now ac-
cording to which President Wilson
Will address a circular note to all the
warning countries. and will propose
to them to suspend military opera
tions on a certain day and call con-
ference Of delegates of the described
powers as an attempt to have poth
sides declare their demands and their
terms of peace. simultaneously with
the dispatch Of the note to the inter-
ested powers it will possibly be pub
lished widely in the world press. for
the purpose Of arousing In the masses
OF people the hope of peace in the not
very remote future. This note may
BECOME the instrument for the ending