Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-09-30

CLEARS UP UbSGUHE
POINTS WORLD WAR
New York, Sept: 29-(AP)-En--
tightening many hitherto opscured
pages of the history of the World
War, Viscount Grey's volumes OF
memoirs have Just been given to the
public in Europe and America
The Lords chronicle of the init
mate details of the diplomatic nego-
| tiations between Washington and
London which preceded the entry or
America into the great conflict, prob
ably has primary interest on this
side of the Atlantic, but his volumes
also are rich with diplomatic history
written by man who was Brltains
! foreign minister during the early
years of the war, and who was long
er than any other man the foreign
minister of a great World Power.
Viscount Grey reveals definite doc
! umentary evidence, for the first time,
to show President Wilson as early as
1916, was giving thought to a def
mite proposal to throw the United
States into the war on the side of
the Allies if the Central powers re-
jected the proposal for peace con-
ference. He ventures the opinion
that Germany today, in efficiency and
numbers combined, is potentially the
, strongest country in Europe. He re-
lieves the Kaiser and the German
people of the full odium of setting
the torch which started the World
confiagration and thinks that in de-
termining the guilt for bringing on
40 I'd
to which Europe had been brought
by the events of decades must be
considered.
The Lord doubts that the worst Of
the economic disaster following the
war has yet been seen; he holds that
m1lltariSm and ornaments made the
worla war inevitable and he doubts
that even yet Nations have learned
that lesson, without which, he thinks,
they must perish.
1t never as hitherto been definitely
revealed that President Wilson as
early as 1916 was thinking Of throw
ing the weight of the United States
into the conflict on the side of the
Allies. Even Lord Grey in his me-
moirs qualities it with the statement
that the President was considering it
as an alternative to a peace confer
ence. The sequence of events, how
| ever as they are revealed by the
diplomatic history of that time, bears
out Viscount Grey's recital
In his memoirs, the Lord records
that in February 1916 E. NJ House,
President Wilson's personal repre-
sentative on many unofficial diplo-
matte negotiations in European cap
ltals, set down in collaboration with
him memorandum defining, as def
nitely as was then possible, the
steps President Wilson would be pre-
pared to take and the terms of peace
which the president would use the
infuepce of the United States to Sc
cure. House, the Lord writes, left a
copy of the memorandum with him.
while he returned to Washington,
and later cabled that the text had
been confirmed by the President. The
text or the memorandum which Wis
count Grey includes in his memoirs
dated February %, 1916, is as fol-
lows:
>ao MEMORANDUM
CONFIDENTIAL
colonel House told me that Presi-
Gent Wilson was ready. on hearing
from France and England, that the
moment was opportune, to propose
tnat conference should be summon
ed TO put an end to the war Should
the Allies accept this proposal. and
should Germany refuse it, the United
states would probably enter the war
against Germany.
colonel House expressed the onin-
ION that. if such a Conference met if
would secure peace on terms not un-
favorable to the Allies; and. if il
talied to secure peace, the United
states would leave the Conference as
d pelllSerent on the side of the Allies.
~ germany was unreasonable. Col
onel House expressed an opinion de-
cldedly favorable to the restoration
OF Belgium, the transfer of Alsace
ana Lorraine to France, and the ac-
QUESTION by Russia of an outlet IN
the sea, though he thought the loss
Oh territory incurred by Germany in
one place would have to be compen-
sated to her by concessions to her in
other places outside of Europe. If
the Allies delayed accepting the offer
OF President Wilson, and if, later on,
the couse of the war was SO unfav.
oraple to them that the intervention
OF the United States would not be eff
lectlve, the United States would
PROBABLY disinterest themselves in
type ana look to their own pro-
lection in their own way.
L said that 1 felt the statement
coming from the President of the
United States, to be a matter of s,lch
importance that 1 must inform the
Iritne Minister and my colleagues.
puL tnat L could say nothing until If
nad received their Consideration
me British Government could. under
no circumstances, ACCEPT or mako
any proposal except in consolidation
|lio agreement with the Allies I
,houSht that the Cabinet would nro.
DaDiy ieei that the present situation
ouiu not Justify them in approach
I,lo present moment; but, as Colonel
House had had an intimate con,. lIei
satlon with M. BRAND and M. Ju1as
Cambon in Paris, I should tbio1- -
IisHt TO tell NJ. BRAND privately
through the French Ambassador IN
honaon, what Colonel House had
aaiu 10 US, and / should, ef course
,hlisneSer there was an opportunity.
NJ. BRAND if he desired it
Foreign Office, I GnitialIed, II n
February %, 1916.
AT present there was M use 70 h.
made of it,, Viscount Grew yritas
and although he held is as norso T''
al confidence, he left if in a W., -
80 eNealed TO his associates in the
a otcish ONCE should it become nee
,,tS WINE ne was away for. q
nioi.h. shortly thereafter, however.
eie Asqulth coalition government re- !
siShed ana Lord Grey left the foreign
ollice out placed his successors in !
possession of the document