Colonel House to Woodrow Wilson

The Russian Ambassador is with me today. He is very much disturbed over the Pope's peace overture and how you will reply to it.

He believes that success or failure in Russia may depend upon your answer. He takes the same view as I do except that he feels more keenly on account of its effect upon, not only Russia but the present government there. He believes if it is treated lightly and not in a spirit of liberalism, it will immediately split Russia and will probably cause the downfall of the present ministry.

I asked him why he had not conveyed this view to you. His reply was that he hesitated to impose himself upon you unless you sent for him. He is returning to Washington tonight, but has to leave again tomorrow night in order to be present at the exercises in Boston which are being arranged for him on Tuesday. He will be in Washington again Wednesday morning.

His Government think the Allies have made a mistake in refusing passports to the Stockholm Conference. If, in addition to doing this, they brush aside the Pope's overtures, he considers it inevitable that there will be a schism, not only in Russia, but probably in other countries as well.

He would like for you to take the lead and let Russia follow. He hopes you may be willing to say that the United States will treat with the German people at any time they are in a position to name their own representatives. He thinks that is the crux of the situation.

At first, he thought it well to speak of the Kaiser. I explained why this was not advisable and he agreed. He then suggested the military caste as the offenders and, again, I cautioned against this. The German people have for more than a century been taught to believe that their greatest duty to the Fatherland was to offer their services in a military way, and they cannot understand just what we mean by "militarism" as applied to Germany and not to France, Russia and other countries. They can and do understand what we mean by representative government, and they are eager for it.

I have pointed out to such Germans as I have met that the worst thing that could happen to Germany would be a peace along the lines of the status quo ante, with the present form of government in control. All the hate and bitterness that the war has engendered would cling to them, and it would express itself in trade warfare and in all kinds of social and economic directions. With a representative government, they could return to the brotherhood of nations declaring that the fault had not been theirs. In this way, they would make a certain reparation which would come near leading to forgiveness.

I believe you are facing one of the great crisis that the world has known, but I feel confident that you will meet it with that fine spirit of courage and democracy which has become synonymous with your name.