Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1948-02-08

For this reason I feel satisfied that
Mr.. Welles had requested the Pres.
ident to send him on the trip in
1910, and also for the reason that
the President merely inquired of me
whether I had any objection to his
going on the mission)
I promptly replied that I offered
no objection If he really wished Mr.
Welles to make the trip. However
I said 7 had few observations tc
make.
reiterated a view I had ex-
pressed to the President several
times In recent weeks. THE critical
period of the war is practically al
hand" r said. 1.-THE three Axis
powers have built up unprecedented
ornaments. Hitler, Mussolini and
japanese spokesman have brazenly
proclaimed they are bent on I'M
limited conquest. They are steadily
and unerringly moving in that d.
rection as straight as rifle shot
And this after we, from 1888 to this
year, exerted all possible efforts
within the limits of isolationist
opposition, to promote peace"
Trip Held False Hopes
In these circumstances, I con-
tinued, with the world already on
fire and with the Axis powers ready
and virtually in the very act Of leap
ing forward with their all-powerful
military forces, further talk about
peace, accompanied by trip to the
warning countries, was calculated to
hold out false hopes. Such false
hopes would be especially fatal to
nations and peoples who should
right now be feverishly preparing
to defend themselves instead Of sit
ting back in the fancied security OF
geographical safety or neutrality.
The deadly effect of people be-
ing lulled into false security by con-
tinued harping on a speedy peace
was we'll illustrated at that very
time by the fact that British SOL
diers were singing popular mel
ody, "We1l hang our washing on
the Siegfried Line" but I felt GER
tain that something ominous was
working up.
said also that 500 different ru-
mors would inevitably arise as to
the purpose and results Of Mr.,
Welles' trip. These would create
confusion In Europe and here at
home.
7 myself would not have consid-
cred sending Mr.. Welles or any one
else OF his official position to Europe
on such a mission at that stage in
the war. Mr.. Welles' thought was
that, while the "phony war" con-
tinued, some bases might be found
for peace. But 1t was evident that
Hitler was madly preparing to end
the "phony war" in only one way
full-scale, violent battles-and the
only way to stop his preparations
was to give him everything he asked,
Welles Given No Authority
The President himself announced
Mr.. Welles' mission on February 9,
saying that. at the Presidents re-
quest, he would visit Italy, France,
Germany and Great Britain solely
to advise the President and me as
to present conditions in Europe.
The President, having in mind the
comments I had made to him, en-
phasized that Mr.. Welles was not
authorized to make proposals or
commitments in the name of the
United States Government, and that
statement made to him by officials
Of governments would be kept in
strictest confidence and communi
Gated solely to him and to me.
On the same day announced
that we had begun informal con-
versations with other neutral gov
ernments. I explained that these
were preliminary inquiries relat-
ing to a sound international eco
nonic system and, at the same time,
worldwide reduction of arma-
ments." Present war conditions
were not involved, but belligerent
nations could be included insofar as
the discussions involved these two
common problems Of future peace.
These conversations were part of
the surveying and studying we had
initiated to outline, as far as we
could, the type of postwar world we
desired to recommend to other ma
tons and our own people.
Isolationists Protest
The announcement of Mr.. Welles
mission gave birth, as 1 knew 1t
would, to scores of rumors. Despite
the Presidents disclaimer that the
mission involved no commitments
on our part, many isolationists
seized upon it to make the welkin
ring and proclaim that We were
about to involve ourselves in
Europes quarrels. Others were
equally certain that Mr.. Welles had
a definite mission to effect a peace
in Europe at any cost to the Allies
or ourselves. Still others conjured
up dissension between the President
and me and between Mr.. Welles and
me. To quiet these rumors I issued
a statement on February IA, saying
II think the President and I have
agreed on policies and methods per-
tanning to our foreign affairs as
nearly uniformly as any other two
persons who have occupied our re.
spective positions. Nothing out Of
the ordinary occurred in the discus.
sions and conferences between III
leading to the announcements made
by the President of the special mis-
sion to Europe, and later by myself
re1a ting tn the prohlernS ~ aco.