Jesse Holman Jones to Woodrow Wilson

If you get the opportunity to read this, I hope you will pardon my presumption in writing it. Your recent speech in New York probably had more to do with Germany's apparent willingness to end the war now than the present military situation. They saw in your speech that which will save them from destruction and they hurried to embrace it. This, of course, increases your responsibility quite in proportion to your opportunity. It is a great tribute to you for a people who have heretofore only believed in and respected force and might to show such signs of confidence in you, to see that even they, the murderers that they are, get fair treatment. Undoubtedly the military situation has a great deal to do with their state of mind but they are perhaps not yet actually beaten and while they may see the handwriting, most of us would be surprised if they are as yet really sincere. It seems to me that unless they are required to surrender their war equipment to the commanders of the Army and the Navy and satisfy particularly General Foch as to his ability to march practically uninterruptedly into Berlin, that none of the Allies would think it time to quit fighting. I feel this very strongly about our own people and hope your reply will be so emphatic that even your enemies can get no consolation out of it. It does not seem particularly pertinent that you should dictate to Germany the kind of Government she may choose to live under, provided the fangs are all pulled.