Woodrow Wilson to Colonel House
Title
Woodrow Wilson to Colonel House
Creator
Wilson, Woodrow, 1856-1924
Identifier
WWP25333
Date
1918 October 28
Description
President Wilson gives Colonel House his points for an armistice with Germany.
Source
Library of Congress, Woodrow Wilson Papers
Publisher
Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum
Subject
Allied and Associated Powers (1914-1920)
Contributor
Anna Phillips
Relation
WWP25332
Language
English
Provenance
Document scan was taken from Library of Congress microfilm reel of the Wilson Papers. WWPL volunteers transcribed the text.
Text
TRANSLATION OPERATIONS
Simsadus London
Opnav 3998 (Box 52) Very secret period Your 7955
Rush the following message to Colonel House and Benson period. After careful consideration by the President of the above cable the following represents his views Colon Paragraph one Enemy submarines to cease hostilities immediately upon the signing of the armistice period Paragraph two Enemy to lay no mines outside his territorial waters during the armistice period paragraph three Enemy to do no mine sweeping outside his own territorial waters period Enemy to disclose the location of all mine fields laid by him outside his own territorial waters near allied or neutral shores period paragraph four allied blockade and restrictions on ocean borne commerce to continue as at present period paragraph five enemy naval forces to evacuate parentesis A parenthesis all coasts and ports of occupied countries parentheses B parentheses All ports and coasts of disputed territory which by the terms of the armistice military forces are to evacuate comma including parentheses C parenthesis the ports and coasts formerly included in the Empire of Russia period paragraph six no damage of any kind to be done by the enemy to any of evacuated coasts or ports and no military or naval stores comma provisions comma or munitions to be destroyed or to be removed before evacuation period paragraph seven all enemy naval surface craft of all classes shall withdraw for the duration of the [. . .] enemy waters or bases as follows colon enemy vessels now in the North Sea comma Baltic comma or German home ports to the German Baltic ports semicolon enemy vessels in the Mediterranean comma Adriatic comma Aegean and adjacent waters comma excepting the Black Sea and its tributaries comma to the Austrian Adriatic ports semicolon enemy vessels in the Black Sea and its tributaries to remain in that sea semicolon vessels formerly belonging to Russia and now in the possession of the enemy to be surrendered to the allies at such place or places and under such conditions as may be prescribed by the allied commanders in chief in the North Sea and Mediterranean period no damage of any kind to be done to these vessels by the enemy period Final disposition of these vessels to be determined by the treaty of peace period paragraph eight all enemy submarines comma except only such of those under construction as are not yet launched comma to be interned in specified neutral ports for the duration of the War under such conditions as would insure their detention period paragraph nine all enemy naval aircraft to be consentrated at enemy base specified by the allies and to remain there during the armistice paragraph ten all the above measures to be executed in the shortest possible time period paragraph eleven in the above proposals where ever the word quote allies unquote or its derivative was used it should be interpreted to include all the powers activly associated in the war against the central powers (English)
[handwritten: Report time of delivery at destination.]
20028 - - 3998
[Oct. 28, 1918]
[Wilson to House, sent through Office of Naval Operations Unnumbered]
Simsadus London
Opnav 3998 (Box 52) Very secret period Your 7955
Rush the following message to Colonel House and Benson period. After careful consideration by the President of the above cable the following represents his views Colon Paragraph one Enemy submarines to cease hostilities immediately upon the signing of the armistice period Paragraph two Enemy to lay no mines outside his territorial waters during the armistice period paragraph three Enemy to do no mine sweeping outside his own territorial waters period Enemy to disclose the location of all mine fields laid by him outside his own territorial waters near allied or neutral shores period paragraph four allied blockade and restrictions on ocean borne commerce to continue as at present period paragraph five enemy naval forces to evacuate parentesis A parenthesis all coasts and ports of occupied countries parentheses B parentheses All ports and coasts of disputed territory which by the terms of the armistice military forces are to evacuate comma including parentheses C parenthesis the ports and coasts formerly included in the Empire of Russia period paragraph six no damage of any kind to be done by the enemy to any of evacuated coasts or ports and no military or naval stores comma provisions comma or munitions to be destroyed or to be removed before evacuation period paragraph seven all enemy naval surface craft of all classes shall withdraw for the duration of the [. . .] enemy waters or bases as follows colon enemy vessels now in the North Sea comma Baltic comma or German home ports to the German Baltic ports semicolon enemy vessels in the Mediterranean comma Adriatic comma Aegean and adjacent waters comma excepting the Black Sea and its tributaries comma to the Austrian Adriatic ports semicolon enemy vessels in the Black Sea and its tributaries to remain in that sea semicolon vessels formerly belonging to Russia and now in the possession of the enemy to be surrendered to the allies at such place or places and under such conditions as may be prescribed by the allied commanders in chief in the North Sea and Mediterranean period no damage of any kind to be done to these vessels by the enemy period Final disposition of these vessels to be determined by the treaty of peace period paragraph eight all enemy submarines comma except only such of those under construction as are not yet launched comma to be interned in specified neutral ports for the duration of the War under such conditions as would insure their detention period paragraph nine all enemy naval aircraft to be consentrated at enemy base specified by the allies and to remain there during the armistice paragraph ten all the above measures to be executed in the shortest possible time period paragraph eleven in the above proposals where ever the word quote allies unquote or its derivative was used it should be interpreted to include all the powers activly associated in the war against the central powers (English)
[handwritten: Report time of delivery at destination.]
20028 - - 3998
[Oct. 28, 1918]
[Wilson to House, sent through Office of Naval Operations Unnumbered]
Original Format
Letter
To
House, Edward Mandell, 1858-1938
Collection
Citation
Wilson, Woodrow, 1856-1924, “Woodrow Wilson to Colonel House,” 1918 October 28, WWP25333, World War I Letters, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum, Staunton, Virginia.