Evening star., 1925-10-08
EUROPE SAW i. S. CHANCE
TO END WAR EARLY IN 1915
Thought Entrance Immediately After
Lusitania Sinking Would Bring Early
Peace, Page Letters Reveal.

was done withou. consulting Serbia
and against her wishes. Italy will
soon come in If she keeps her agree
ment. to be followed by Rumania.
have heard unofficial confirmation of
this agreement here.
JoKre Confident.
The same editor informs me that
Gen. Joffre told him that he is con-
fident that he would break through
the German lines within month.
have heard the opinion expressed
today in several well informed but un-
official quarters that warlike action
by the United States would be signal
for other neutral nations whose rights
Germany has disregarded. especially
the Scandinavian countries. and pos
sibly Holland. For the correctness of
this view, | cannot vouch. but | know
il is widely entertained.
AMERICAN AMBASSADOR.
London.
The SEQUEL made il sufficiently plain
that any policy remotely resembling
this was not contemplated by the
White House. That the suggestion
was unwelcome appears from brief
letter written by the President to Mr..
Bryan. who was then-and for short
time afterward- Secretary of state.
In the archives of the State De
partment President Wilson's letter is
attached to the original copy of Pages &
historic telegram. This small sheet
of paper pictures one of the most
critical moments in the war. Page $
messac &c was received less than "a
hours after. the Lusirania had gone
down. with the loss of more than 100
American lives. 1t reached the White
House late At night. At that moment
President Wilson was the one man
above all others in whose hands the
future of America and Europe lay.
Every mind and every heart in two
continents was centered upon that
solitary figure in the White House.
Popular emotion in the United States
had seldom reached the intensity that
then stirred nearly loo, 900 900 Amer
leans. Whatever differences of opinion
and sentiment may have appeared IN
the nearly two years of discussion
that ensued there is not the slightest
doubt that Americans. or the vast ma
joritv of them. sympa thized at that
moment with the views set forth in
Pages telegram.
That Mr.. Wilson kept himself care
fully secluded from popular emotions
for the few days following the Lusi-
tania is we'll known. lie saw no mem
bers of his cabinet, not even the mem
Der whose department was chiefly con
cerned with that event For several
davs Mr. Bryan held himself in readi-
ness for the presidential call. but Mr..
Wilson never summoned him. So far
as is known. Mr.. Wilson's only com
munication with his Secretary Of
State. preceding the cabinet meeting
of Tuesday. May L.. was the extreme
" brief but enlightening note written
concerning Pages urgent telegram,
printed above. The letter was type.
written evidently by the President 5
own hand. for the type has the ia
miliar character of the Hammond ma
chine. on which the President typed
his own MESA ges and confidential
documents.
1t appears at once that Page
presentation of the Lusitania ca Sc
fell upon unsympathetic ears. The
Presidents comment is dated May 10
which was the Sunday after the sink
ing had taken place. 1t was on the
evening Of the same day that the