Evening star., 1920-11-15
PRESIDENTS WAR VIEWS IN 1917
!, AS TOLD BY BELGIAN MINISTER
Copy of Report Of Baron Moncheur Would
! Seem to Show That MIR. Wilson First
Favored Entente Alliance.

utilize the Scheldt at all times for her
military and naval operations and those
of her allies.
The President found this claim
quite justified. I could not possibly
oppose it. he added. since 1 am firm
partisan of the theory that every coun-
try has right to demand free access
to the sea-
Pledges for Mutual Defense.
Then passed to another subject, and
when told Mr.. Wilson that we were
hrmly decided to rid ourselves of the
neutrality which had in former times
been thrust upon us he appeared some
what surprised But at the end of my
explanations he understood very we'll
why we wished to reject a regime whose
inconvenience had never been compen-
sated by any efficacious protection.
Il believed that the moment had come
to call the Presidents serious attention
to the examination of the measures to
be taken in order after the war to pre-
serve the future existence of Belgium
from all risk I pointed out the great
dangers to which her special situation
exposes her and her importance from
an economic as well as from a politi--
would be great if the result Of the
struggle allowed strong Germany to
continue to exist
"Mr Wilson then unfolded to me
system which he had proposed to the
South American republics. which he
tons of the entente. They should
pledge themselves mutually to aid one
another in case one of them were at
tackled. Thus said Mr.. Wilson. by vir-
tue of this agreement Belgium should
aid France If the latter were attacked
by Germany. and. reciprocally, France
and the other countries which had signed
the agreement should come to the help
of your country if it were the victim
of an aggression. In this there would
be great guaranty for Belgium, he
added, for Germany would not dare at
tack Belgium again If she knew that
she would risk war with all the other
members included in tho defensive alli-
ance.'
II gathered that, although the Presi-
dent did not expressly say so. his In
tention is eventually to have the Unit
ed States enter this combination.
Democratic Reaction for Germany.
"The President also sees another
guaranty of future peace in the po-
litical regime which. according to
him, will be automatically established
in Germany II she does not win the
war. According to him. it is hardly
probable that the Hohenzollern will
be dethroned. but under the pressure
OF the democratic reaction which can
not fail to result in Germany If the
war is not a success the internal po-
litical ordering will be profoundly
modified. The people will refuse to
throw themselves into a new adven-
ture which might bring on the nation
suffering as intense as that which
now affiicts it. That will be- he add
ed. a much more serious guaranty in
my eyes than all the declarations
which might be obtained from Ger
many and inserted in the peace
treaty. The autocracy Of the Hohen-
zollern is a fruit of the policy Of Bis
marck. 1t did not exist before 1866,
when there was a crowd of little
states in Germany. and it was only
after 1870 that 1t reached its full de-
velopment. But after the disasters
the present waf has brought about
public opinion will gain the upper
hand
Il present the Presidents views to
you, Mr.. Minister. just as he exposed
them to me.
eff the defensive alliance Of which
/ spoke above should be concluded,
there ought, according to him. to be
constituted in some European city an