Evening star., 1925-11-02
WILSON'S PLEDGE
FOR WAR REVEALED
Proposal in 1916 to Allies iE
Case Germany Rejected
Peace Plan.

a virtual pledge that the United
, States would go to war against Ger
many if the war lords of that nation
rejected peace plan expected to be
approved by the allies. which was car
ried to Europe by Col. House as the
emissary of President Wilson, was
made to the British government by
Col. House during his mysterious visit
To England in 1916. it is disclosed in
a newly published volume of The
Life and Letters of Walter Hines
Page" wartime American Ambassa-
dor to London.
While Ambassador Page thought
there were at that time ample moral
grounds for the United States to
20 to war against Germany, he strong.
ly protested against the House plan,
feeling that il would amount almost
10 trickery.
.inti-German Feeling Strong.
Feeling against Germany was SO
strong in England. the new Page pub.
lication says. that Col. House was
warned half in joke. that if the peo-
pie of London knew he was there ON
such a peace mission You Will be
lucky If YOU are not thrown into the
Tha mes"
The book was compiled by Bur
ton J. Hendrick ard was published
and copyright by Doubleday, FaEe
and Company.
The message brought To London
by House. as the emissary OF Presi-
dent Wilson, more than A year he
fore the United States actually did
90 To war, was quoted by Page in
one of his memoranda as follows:
THE United States would like
Great Britain To do whatever would
help the United States to aid the
Allies"
Col House Returns With Plan.
That was in January. 1916. Five
weeks later. after visiting the
French. Belgian and German CAPT
tails. the colonel returned to London
with his plan for an American
peace conference proposal with
virtual ultima tum to Germany at
tached.
"Of course as told House. =
wrote PAGE in February, 1915. no
body here would dare talk about
peace. and if they did dare nobody
would dare accept the Presidents in
tervention. They no longer have
confidence in the President.
House told me that we'd have a.
meeting on Monday-Asquith. Grey.
heading, Lloyd George. he and |. NO,
we won't. No member of the Gov
ernment can afford to discuss any
such subject.
Despite the Ambassadors refusal
to be present. however the meeting
between House and the ranking
British statesmen was held a few
days later. Foreign Minister Grey
is quoted as saving To House that If
it were known that we We're meeting
for the purpose of discussing peace.
every window in my house would be
smashed, while Page himself said
to the colonel. half f-seriously. half
goodna turedly.
III the British public learns that
this is going on. YOU will be lucky Il
YOU are not thrown into the Thames.
Favorable Sentiment Expressed.
Mr.. Hendrick adds that, although
nothing came Of the plan. Grey dei-
nitely indorsed II. and the Others
present at the meeting seemed gen
orally favora BILE.
The text of the Wilson House plan
recently was made public hy NiSCounl
Grey in his memoirs. with the oh
Servation that when this text WAS
submitted to President Wilson ht
approved il with a single chang"
This change. MIR. Hendrick declares
was the insertion of the word prob
a bly," which weakened the force ot
the proposal at u time subsequent II
its presentation by House in London
As amended by the President. the
opening paracr ph said:
president Wilson WAS ready. on
hearing from France and England, t'
propose that a conference should he
summoned 10 put an end to the war
Should the allies accent this t'ro-
posal and should Germany refuse it,
the United States would probably
enter the war against German.