Слике страница
PDF
ePub

PART I

THE CONTINUATION AND FURTHER SPREAD OF THE WAR-EFFORTS TOWARD PEACE

THE WAR PRIOR TO THE ENTRANCE OF THE UNITED STATES Reply of the Allied Governments, January 10, 1917, to the President's Suggestion of December 18, 1916,' that the Belligerents Communicate Their Terms of Peace-Counter-Replies of the Central Powers to tne Rejection by the Allied Powers of Their Invitation of December 12, 1916, to Discuss Peace

File No. 763.72 119/316a

The Secretary of State to the Diplomatic Representatives in Great Britain, France, Russia, Italy, and Japan 3

[Circular telegram]

3

WASHINGTON, January 5, 1917.

Press this morning publishes report that President will send second note to powers in effort to advance peace movement. You may say that this report is utterly false and without foundation and that the President has not in contemplation sending a second note.

LANSING

File No. 763.72/3107

The Ambassador in Italy (Page) to the Secretary of State

[Telegram]

ROME, January 4, 1917. [Received January 5, 9.45 p. m.] 771. Noon press report confirmed that British and French Prime Ministers, French War and Munition Ministers, and General Robertson, Lord Milner, and Russian General Palitsyn will arrive Rome to-morrow, Friday morning. General Cadorna also here.

Foreign Relations, 1916, Supplement, p. 97. 'Ibid., p. 90.

NELSON PAGE

The same, on the same date, to the Ambassadors in Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Turkey, except that the second sentence begins, "If inquiry made you may reply," instead of "You may say" (File No. 763.72119/325a).

3

File No. 763.72/3114

The Ambassador in Italy (Page) to the Secretary of State

[Telegram].

ROME, January 7, 1917, 11 a. m.
[Received 7.30 p. m.]

781. I hear but can not confirm that conference will probably result in withdrawal of Allied troops from Saloniki; also that Italian representatives favor stating objects of conflict more definitely than others.

NELSON PAGE

File No. 763.72119/327

The Ambassador in Italy (Page) to the Secretary of State

[Telegram]

ROME, January 9, 1917, 1 p. m.
[Received 4.10 p. m.]

784. Your circular January 5 given Minister for Foreign Affairs. I learn that form of Allies' joint reply to President's note decided in conference here and will be sent by Briand as soon as Russia approves final draft. Tone will be wholly friendly though I do not understand note will contain details of objects of war. Report that Italy has delayed sending answer denied.

NELSON PAGE

File No. 763.72/3121

The Minister in Greece (Droppers) to the Secretary of State

[Telegram]

ATHENS, January 9, 1917, 9 a. m.
[Received January 10, 8 a. m.]

219. My telegram No. 210 [211], December 30. Greek Government has submitted preliminary reply conciliatory in tone but indefinite. Memorandum insists upon necessity of effective assurances against encroachments, provisions for mixed commissions of inquiry associated with question of reparation. Since establishment blockade Provisional Government has seized several islands.

DROPPERS

1

1 Foreign Relations, 1916, Supplement, p. 127.

File No. 763.72/3119

The Minister in Greece (Droppers) to the Secretary of State

[Telegram]

ATHENS, January 9, 1917, 10 p. m. [Received January 10, 10.30 a. m.] 221. Italian Minister informs me conditions imposed upon Greek Government in note of December 31 must be accepted by Greece in principle in 48 hours and 15 days for execution. Blockade raised not until all conditions fulfilled. Italian Minister for Foreign Affairs urges literal acceptance otherwise sad day for Greece. DROPPERS

File No. 763.72119/354

The Ambassador in France (Sharp) to the Secretary of State

[Telegram]

PARIS, January 10, 1917, 7 p. m.

[Received January 11, 8.20 a. m.]

1805. At 2.30 this afternoon M. Briand, President of the Council, handed me at the Foreign Office the reply of the Allied Governments to the President's suggestion contained in your circular telegram of December 18.1 Baron Beyens, Belgian Minister for Foreign Affairs, was present and in the name of his Government handed me a separate note stating that while the Belgian Government had joined in the reply of the Allies yet, because of the peculiar situation of Belgium in this war and because of the aid given her by American citizens and the sympathy they have shown in her great distress, the Government of the King was desirous of setting forth that situation and proclaiming its gratitude to the United States in a separate communication.

M. Briand stated that in view of the President's communication having been published as well as the answer thereto of the Central powers, the public in France and the Allied countries is in an expectant frame of mind eager to know the answer of their Governments which is daily awaited; that for this reason as well as the impossibility of keeping confidential in so many countries a communication of this importance it has not been found feasible to conform 1Ibid., p. 97.

in this regard to the President's wishes as much as he would be pleased to do so. It is the desire and intention therefore to publish it on Friday morning the 12th, he feeling sure that this delay will give the President time to take full cognizance of the communication before it is made public and will show the desire of the Allies to give deference as far as it has been possible to his wishes in this respect. Both Ministers were very cordial in their declarations voicing their appreciation of the President's motives.

Translation of the two notes will follow in separate telegrams by sections.

SHARP

File No. 763.72119/3702

The Ambassador in France (Sharp) to the Secretary of State

[Telegram]

PARIS, January 10, 1917, 8 p. m.

[Received January 11, 8.20 a. m.]

1806. My 1805. Translation of French note as follows:

The Allied Governments have received the note which was delivered to them in the name of the Government of the United States on the 19th of December, 1916. They have studied it with the care imposed upon them both by the exact realization which they have of the gravity of the hour and by the sincere friendship which attaches them to the American people.

In general way they wish to declare that they pay tribute to the elevation of the sentiment with which the American note is inspired and that they associate themselves with all their hopes with the project for the creation of a league of nations to insure peace and justice throughout the world. They recognize all the advantages for the cause of humanity and civilization which the institution of international agreements, destined to avoid violent conflicts between nations, would present; agreements which must imply the sanctions necessary to insure their execution and thus to prevent an apparent security from only facilitating new aggressions. But a discussion of future arrangements destined to insure an enduring peace presupposes a satisfactory settlement of the actual conflict; the Allies have as profound a desire as the Government of the United States to terminate as soon as possible a war for which the Central Empires are responsible and which inflicts such cruel sufferings upon humanity. But they believe that it is impossible at the present moment to attain a peace which will assure them reparation, restitution, and such guaranties to which they are entitled by the aggression for which the responsibility rests with the Central powers and of which the principle itself tended to ruin the security of Europe; a peace which would on the other hand permit the establishment of the future of European nations on a solid basis. The Allied nations are conscious that

they are not fighting for selfish interests, but above all to safeguard the independence of peoples, of right, and of humanity.

The Allies are fully aware of the losses and suffering which the war causes to neutrals as well as to belligerents and they deplore them; but they do not hold themselves responsible for them, having in no way either willed or provoked this war, and they strive to reduce these damages in the measure compatible with the inexorable exigencies of their defense against the violence and the wiles of the enemy.

It is with satisfaction therefore that they take note of the declaration that the American communication is in no wise associated in its origin with that of the Central powers transmitted on the 18th of December by the Government of the United States. They did not doubt moreover the resolution of that Government to avoid even the appearance of a support, even moral, of the authors responsible for

the war.

The Allied Governments believe that they must protest in the most friendly but in the most specific manner against the assimilation established in the American note between the two groups of belligerents; this assimilation, based upon public declarations by the Central powers, is in direct opposition to the evidence, both as regards responsibility for the past and as concerns guaranties for the future; President Wilson in mentioning it certainly had no intention of associating himself with it.

If there is an historical fact established at the present date, it is the wilful aggression of Germany and Austria-Hungary to insure their hegemony over Europe and their economic domination over the world. Germany proved by her declaration of war, by the immediate violation of Belgium and Luxemburg, and by her manner of conducting the war, her simulating contempt for all principles of humanity and all respect for small states; as the conflict developed the attitude of the Central powers and their allies has been a continual defiance of humanity and civilization. Is it necessary to recall the horrors which accompanied the invasion of Belgium and of Serbia, the atrocious régime imposed upon the invaded countries, the massacre of hundreds of thousands of inoffensive Armenians, the barbarities perpetrated against the populations of Syria, the raids of Zeppelins on open towns, the destruction by submarines of passenger steamers and of merchantmen even under neutral flags, the cruel treatment inflicted upon prisoners of war, the juridical murders of Miss Cavell, of Captain Fryatt, the deportation and the reduction to slavery.of civil populations, etc.? The execution of such a series of crimes perpetrated without any regard for universal reprobation fully explains to President Wilson the protest of the Allies.

They consider that the note which they sent to the United States in reply to the German note will be a response to the questions put by the American Government, and according to the exact words of the latter, constitute "a public declaration as to the conditions upon which the war could be terminated."

President Wilson desires more: he desires that the belligerent powers openly affirm the objects which they seek by continuing the war; the Allies experience no difficulty in replying to this request.

« ПретходнаНастави »