Woodrow Wilson to Colonel House
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To House.
VI
I fully and sympathetically recognize the exceptional position and necessities of Great Britain with regard to the use of the seas for defence both at home and throughout the Empire and also realize that freedom of the seas needs careful definition and is full of questions upon which there is need of the freest discussion and the most liberal interchange of views, but I am not clear that the reply of the Allies quoted in your 12 definitely concedes accepts the principle of freedom of the seas and means to reserve only the free discussion of definitions and limitations. Please insist that that be made clear before I decide upon whether to accept the reply or go again to the Congress who confidentially will have no sympathy whatever with spending American lives for British naval supremacy. control. I cannot recede from the position taken in my 5, though of course I depend upon your discretion to insist at the right time and in the right way. Terms one, two, three, and fourteen are the essentially American terms in the programme and I cannot change what our troops are fighting for or consent to end with only European arrangements of peace. Freedom of the seas will not have to be discussed with Germany if we agree among ourselves beforehand but will be if we do not. Blockade is one of the many things which will require immediate redefinition in view of the many new circumstances of warfare developed by this war. There is no danger of its being abolished.
Replying to your ten cannot agree to Georges programme of a general settlement among ourselves before the general peace conference. I think that it is obvious that I am entitled to take personal part in the real settlement and such preliminaries would make the final conference a mere form. Suggest Council refer Pershing's letter to me and so inform him. I am proud of the way you are handling things