Evening star., 1948-02-11
The Memoirs of CordeH Hull
CHAPTER XIV.

lne NuSSO-FlIll1lSll "dG Wcilb Oal
amid the SHOWS of the north, with
Finnish heroism converting the So
viet's expected walkover into des-
perate three-month battle.
Even though the conflict added
two more to the list of warning
nations, Europe throughout the
waning months of 1899 was replete
with rumors of peace moves. The
period of stalenate following the
collapse of Poland offered titled
ground for both rumors and gestures
toward peace. These were OF interest
to me because invariably they linked
the United States with the move
ments supposedly in course.
AS early as October 2, 1889, Amer
lean Minister Gunther in BuchareS
cabled me an expression Of deep
interest by the Romanian Foreign
Minister in the possibility that the
President might be considering a
peace initiative. I cabled him the
next day that no such move was
being contemplated and that we
had received no indications that any
of the belligerents desired us to
make one.
Hitler, in an address on october
6, made vague proposals in the di-
rection of peace-naturally peace
that would leave him In possession
of most of his gains in the war, as
well as Czechoslovakia and Austria.
Leopold Urges Appeal.
Following this speech, Ambassador
Joseph E. Davies in Belgium cabled
the President and me that he had
been asked by high source-later
revealed to be King Leopold-to say
that only the President could avert
a German assault on Western Eu-
rope, and Belgium hoped that the
President might make another effort
like those he had made during pre-
vious crises.
The same day, October Z, Alex
ander Kirk, our charge in Berlin,
cabled that some one close to Hitler
had conveyed the thought that the
President might use Hitler's speech
as the occasion to send a conf1den-
tial message to him indorsing his
efforts toward peace" and seeking
Qualification of his bases for estab-
fishing peace. Two days later Kirk
cabled that German press spokes-
man said that Germany could cer-
tainly accept from the President
suggestion for a truce and negotia-
tions toward peace and intimated
that Germany might take part in
conference somewhere far removed
from the war theater-which some
interpreted to mean washington.
Then the following day came q
dispatch from American Minister
Schoenfeld in Helsinki, conveying
a suggestion from the Finnish For
eign Minister that the United States
might take the initiative in explor-
ing the possibilities Of peace.
AS a result of this influx of cables,
all along the same line, I called a
meeting of my associates in my
Office on Sunday, October 8. 7 in
vited Norman Davis to take part,
as I not infrequently did when I
| iidO CpCC1d1 IlCCQ VI 11AS odSC aofASC
and long experience. We had al
ready had intensive discussions
among ourselves as to whether
there was any reasonable move. the
United States could make at this
time to restore peace to Europe.
Value Of Peace Move Doubted.
During this Sunday conference
we went over the draft of a pos
sible United States proposal. In 1t
we would ask the belligerents to
state their peace terms; we would
offer to act as intermediary to trans
NIT communications on this sub
ject to the opposing belligerents.
After much exchanging Of views, I
said did not believe any useful
purpose would be served by peace
move by the United States at this
time.
With Hitler the victor thus far,
any move toward peace we might
make could not but benefit him and
discourage the Allies. We would not
be warranted in pressing Britain
and France to make peace on such
terms. Our yery suggestion of peace