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"Nous aimons à espérer qu'aucun des belligérants n'élèvera d'objection contre un tel échange d'idées. Les opérations militaires ne seraient pas interrompues; la conversation n'irait pas plus loin que ne le jugeraient utile ceux qui y prendraient part. Aucun inconvénient ne pourrait en résulter pour les parties intéressées. Loin de pouvoir nuire, l'échange de vues ne saurait qu'être favorable à la cause de la paix ce qui ne réussirait pas du premier coup pourrait être essayé à nouveau. On aura du moins contribué à élucider les problèmes. Que des malentendus invétérés ne pourrait-on pas dissiper! Que de nouvelles conceptions ne se frayeraient leur chemin! Les sentiments humanitaires si longtemps refoulés jailliraient des cœurs créant une atmosphère plus chaude qui, en sauvegardant tout ce qui est essentiel, ferait disparaître bien des divergences de vues qui paraissent importantes à l'heure qu'il est. Selon notre conviction, tous les belligérants le doivent à l'humanité d'examiner, en commun, s'il ne serait pas possible, après tant d'années d'une lutte qui, malgré tous les sacrifices, est restée indécise, et dont tout le décours paraît imposer un compromis, de mettre un terme à cette terrible guerre.

"Le Gouvernement Impérial et Royal revient donc proposer aux Gouvernements de tous Etats belligérants d'envoyer prochainement dans un pays neutre, après s'être mis d'accord sur la date et l'endroit, des délégués pour entamer une conversation d'un caractère confidentiel et non obligatoire sur les principes fondamentaux d'une paix à conclure. Ces délégués auraient pour mandat de se communiquer réciproquement les vues de leurs Gouvernements quant aux principes susdits, et de se renseigner mutuellement, avec toute liberté et franchise, sur tous les points qui demanderaient à être prévus."

En m'acquittant de cette mission et en ajoutant que la communication que je viens de faire a été adressée en même temps à tous les Etats belligérants, je saisis, &c.

WRANGEL.

(No. 2.)-Mr. Balfour to Count Wrangel.

SIR. Foreign Office, September 17, 1918. I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your note of the 16th instant, in which you were so good as to transmit to me a communication from the Austro-Hungarian Government addressed to all the belligerent Powers.

I have, &c.

A. J. BALFOUR.

CORRESPONDENCE relative to the Requests for an Armistice addressed by Germany and Allied Powers to the President of the United States of America.October-November 1918.

(1.) The German Chancellor to President Wilson. (Translation.)

THE German Government requests the President of the United States of America to take in hand the restoration of peace, acquaint all belligerent States with this request, and invite them to send plenipotentiaries for the purpose of opening negotiations. The German Government accepts the programme set forth by the President of the United States in his message to Congress of the 8th January, 1918,* and in his later pronouncements, especially his speech of the 27th September, as a basis for peace negotiations.

With a view to avoiding further bloodshed, the German Government requests the immediate conclusion of an armistice on land and water and in the air.

MAX, PRINCE OF BADEN,

October 4, 1918.

Imperial Chancellor.

(2.) The Austro-Hungarian Government to
President Wilson.

(Translation.)

THE Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, which has always waged the war solely as a defensive war, and has repeatedly announced its readiness to put an end to the bloodshed and to attain a just and honourable peace, approaches herewith the President of the United States of America with a proposal to conclude with him and his Allies an immediate armistice on land and sea and in the air, and immediately, therefore, to enter into negotiations for the conclusion of peace, for which the Fourteen Points of President Wilson's message to Congress of the 8th January, 1918, and the Four Points in his speech of the 11th February, 1918,‡ should serve as a basis, while attention will likewise be paid to the declarations by President Wilson on the 27th September, 1918.

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(3.)-President Wilson to the German Chancellor.

BEFORE making reply to the request of the Imperial German Government, and in order that that reply shall be as candid and straightforward as the momentous interests involved require, the President of the United States deems it necessary to assure himself of the exact meaning of the note of the Imperial Chancellor. Does the Imperial Chancellor mean that the Imperial German Government accepts the terms laid down by the President in his address to the Congress of the United States on the 8th January last, and in subsequent addresses, and that its object in entering into discussions would be only to agree upon the practical details of their applications?

The President feels bound to say with regard to the suggestion of an armistice that he would not feel at liberty to propose a cessation of arms to the Governments with which the Government of the United States is associated against the Central Powers so long as the armies of those Powers are upon their soil. The good faith of any discussion would manifestly depend upon the consent of the Central Powers immediately to withdraw their forces everywhere from invaded territory.

The President also feels that he is justified in asking whether the Imperial Chancellor is speaking merely for the constituted authorities of the Empire who have so far conducted the war. He deems the answers to these questions vital from every point of view.

October 8, 1918.

(4.) The German Government to President Wilson. (Translation.)

THE German Government has accepted the terms laid down by President Wilson in his address of the 8th January and in his subsequent addresses as the foundation for a permanent peace of justice. Consequently, the object of the proposed discussions would be only to come to an understanding upon practical details of the application of these terms.

The German Government assumes that the Governments of the Powers associated with the Government of the United States also adopt the position taken by President Wilson in his public declarations.

The German Government declares itself ready, in agreement with the Austro-Hungarian Government, with a view to bringing about an armistice, to comply with the proposals of the President in regard to evacuation. The German

Government suggests that the President should bring about the meeting of a mixed Commission, whose duty it would be to concert the necessary arrangements concerning the evacuation.

The present German Government, which takes the responsibility for this step towards peace, has been formed by negotiations and in agreement with the great majority of the Reichstag. The Chancellor, supported in all his actions by the will of this majority, speaks in the name of the German Government and of the German people. SOLF, Secretary of State

Berlin, October 12, 1918.

for Foreign Affairs.

(5.) The Turkish Government to President Wilson.
(Delivered at Washington on October 14, 1918.)

(Translation.)

THE undersigned Chargé d'Affaires of Turkey has the honour, acting upon instructions from his Government, to request the Royal Government (of Spain) to inform the Secretary of State of the United States of America by telegraph that the Imperial Government requests the President of the United States of America to take upon himself the task of the re-establishment of peace; to notify all belligerent States of this demand, and to invite them to delegate plenipotentiaries to initiate negotiations.

The Imperial Government accepts, as a basis for the negotiations, the programme laid down by the President of the United States in his message to Congress of the 8th January, 1918, and in his subsequent declarations, especially the speech of the 27th September.

In order to end the bloodshed, the Imperial Government requests that steps be taken for the immediate conclusion of a general armistice.*

(6.)-President Wilson to the German Government.

THE unqualified acceptance by the present German Government and by a large majority of the German Reichstag of the terms laid down by the President of the United States of America in his address to the Congress of the United States on the 8th January, 1918, and in his

* Before President Wilson replied to this note the Turkish Government entered into an Armistice Convention (signed the 30th October, 1918) with the Allied Governments, see page 611. In his reply, dated the 31st October, the President stated that he would bring the Turkish Note to the knowledge of the Governments at war with Turkey. 2 T 2

[1917-18. CXI.]

subsequent addresses justifies the President in making frank and direct statement of his decision with regard to the communications of the German Government of the 4th and 12th October, 1918.

It must be clearly understood that the process of evacuation and the conditions of an armistice are matters which must be left to the judgment and advice of the military advisers of the Government of the United States and the Allied Governments, and the President feels it his duty to say that no arrangement can be accepted by the Government of the United States which does not provide absolutely satisfactory safeguards and guarantees of the maintenance of the present military supremacy of the armies of the United States and of the Allies in the Field. He feels confident that he can safely assume that this will also be the judgment and decision of the Allied Governments.

The President feels that it is also his duty to add that neither the Government of the United States nor, he is quite sure, the Governments with which the Government of the United States is associated as a belligerent will consent to consider an armistice so long as the armed forces of Germany continue the illegal and inhuman practices which they still persist in. At the very time that the German Government approaches the Government of the United States with proposals of peace its submarines are engaged in sinking passenger ships at sea,—and not the ships alone, but the very boats in which their passengers and crews seek to make their way to safety; and in their present enforced withdrawal from Flanders and France and German armies are pursuing a course of wanton destruction which has always been regarded as in direct violation of the rules and practices of civilised warfare. Cities and villages, if not destroyed, are being stripped not only of all they contain, but often of their very inhabitants. The nations associated against Germany cannot be expected to agree to a cessation of arms while acts of inhumanity, spoliation and desolation are being continued, which they justly look upon with horror and with burning hearts.

It is necessary also, in order that there may be no possibility of misunderstanding, that the President should very solemnly call the attention of the Government of Germany to the language and plain intent of one of the terms of peace which the German Government has now accepted. It is contained in the address of the President delivered at Mount Vernon on the 4th July last.* It is as follows:

"The destruction of every arbitrary power anywhere that can separately, secretly and of its single choice disturb the

* Page 961.

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