View source for Entente Reply to President Wilson's Peace Note, January 10, 1917

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'''Entente Reply to President Wilson's Peace Note, January 10, 1917<sup>1</sup>'''<br>

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<i>Ambassador Sharp to the Secretary of State</i><br>

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[TELEGRAM]<br>

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;AMERICAN EMBASSY, <br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Paris, January 10, 1917. <br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The following is the translation of the French note: <br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"The Allied Governments have received the note which was de-<br> 
livered to them in the name of the Government of the United States <br>
on the nineteenth of December, 1916. They have studied it with the <br>
care imposed upon them both by the exact realization which they have <br>
of the gravity of the hour and by the sincere friendship which attaches <br>
them to the American people. <br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"In general way they wish to declare that they pay tribute to the <br>
elevation of the sentiment with which the American note is inspired <br>
and that they associate themselves with all their hopes with the project <br>
for the creation of a league of nations to insure peace and justice <br>
throughout the world. They recognize all the advantages for the cause <br>
of humanity and civilization which the institution of international <br>
agreements, destined to avoid violent conflicts between nations would <br>
prevent; agreements which must imply the sanctions necessary to in- <br>
sure their execution and thus to prevent an apparent security from <br>
only facilitating new aggressions. But a discussion of future arrange-<br>
ments destined to insure an enduring peace presupposes a satisfactory <br>
settlement of the actual conflict ; the Allies have as profound a desire <br>
as the Government of the United States to terminate as soon as pos- <br>
sible a war for which the Central Empires are responsible and which <br>
inflicts such cruel sufferings upon humanity. But they believe that it <br>
is impossible at the present moment to attain a peace which will assure <br>
them reparation, restitution and such guarantees to which they are <br>
entitled by the aggression for which the responsibility rests with the <br>
Central Powers and of which the principle itself tended to ruin the <br>
security of Europe ; a peace which would on the other hand permit <br>
the establishment of the future of European nations on a solid basis. <br>
The Allied nations are conscious that they are not fighting for selfish <br>
interests, but above all to safeguard the independence of peoples, of <br>
right and of humanity. <br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"The Allies are fully aware of the losses and suffering which the <br>
war causes to neutrals as well as to belligerents and they deplore them; <br>
but they do not hold themselves responsible for them, having in no way <br>
either willed or provoked this war, and they strive to reduce these <br>
damages in the measure compatible with the inexorable exigencies of <br>
their defense against the violence and the wiles of the enemy. <br>
"It is with satisfaction therefore that they take note of the declara- <br>
tion that the American communication is in nowise associated in its <br>
origin with that of the Central Powers transmitted on the eighteenth <br>
of December by the Government of the United States. They did not <br>
doubt moreover the resolution of that Government to avoid even the <br>
appearance of a support, even moral, of the authors responsible for <br>
the war. <br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"The Allied Governments believe that they must protest in the <br>
most friendly but in the most specific manner against the assimilation <br>
established in the American note between the two groups of bellige- <br>
rents; this assimilation, based upon public declarations by the Central <br>
Powers, is in direct opposition to the evidence, both as regards respon- <br>
sibility for the past and as concerns guarantees for the future; <br>
President Wilson in mentioning it certainly had no intention of asso- <br>
ciating himself with it. <br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"If there is an historical fact established at the present date, it is <br>
the willful aggression of Germany and Austria-Hungary to insure <br>
their hegemony over Europe and their economic domination over the <br>
world. Germany proved by her declaration of war, by the immediate- <br>
violation of Belgium and Luxemburg and by her manner of conducting <br>
the war, her simulating contempt for all principles of humanity and all<br>
respect for small States; as the conflict developed the attitude of the <br>
Central Powers and their Allies has been a continual defiance of <br>
humanity and civilization. Is it necessary to recall the horrors which ac- <br>
companied the invasion of Belgium and Servia, the atrocious regime <br>
imposed upon the invaded countries, the massacre of hundreds of <br>
thousands of inoffensive Armenians, the barbarities perpetrated against <br>
the populations of Syria, the raids of Zeppelins on open towns, the <br>
destruction by submarines of passenger steamers and of merchantmen <br>
even under neutral flags, the cruel treatment inflicted upon prisoners <br>
of war, the juridical murders of Miss Cavel, of Captain Fryatt, the <br>
deportation and the reduction to slavery of civil populations, et cetera? <br>
The execution of such a series of crimes perpetrated without any re- <br>
gard for universal reprobation fully explains to President Wilson the <br>
protest of the Allies. <br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"They consider that the note which they sent to the United States <br>
in reply to the German note will be a response to the questions put <br>
by the American Government, and according to the exact words of the <br>
latter, constitute 'a. public declaration as to the conditions upon which <br>
the war could be terminated.' <br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"President Wilson desires more: he desires that the belligerent <br>
powers openly affirm the objects which they seek by continuing the <br>
war ; the Allies experience no difficulty in replying to this request. <br>
Their objects in the war are well known; they have been formulated <br>
on many occasions by the chiefs of their divers Governments. Their <br>
objects in the war will not be made known in detail with all the <br>
equitable compensations and indemnities for damages suffered until <br>
the hour of negotiations. But the civilized world knows that they <br>
imply in all necessity and in the first instance the restoration of <br>
Belgium, of Servia, and of Montenegro and the indemnities which <br>
are due them; the evacuation of the invaded territories of France, of <br>
Russia and of Roumania with just reparation ; the reorganization of <br>
Europe guaranteed by a stable regime and founded as much upon <br>
respect of nationalities and full security and liberty economic develop- <br>
ment, which all nations, great or small, possess, as upon territorial <br>
conventions and international agreements suitable to guarantee terri- <br>
torial and maritime frontiers against unjustified attacks ; the restitu- <br>
tion of provinces or territories wrested in the past from the Allies by <br>
force or against the will of their populations, the liberation of Italians, <br>
of Slavs, of Roumanians and of Tcheco Slovaques from foreign <br>
domination; the enfranchisement of populations subject to the bloody <br>
tyranny of the Turks ; the expulsion from Europe of the Ottoman <br>
Empire decidedly (.  .  .)ii to western civilization. The intentions <br>
of His Majesty the Emperor of Russia regarding Poland have been <br>
clearly indicated in the proclamation which he has just addressed to <br>
his armies. It goes without saying that if the Allies wish to liberate <br>
Europe from the brutal covetousness of Prussian militarism, it never <br>
has been their design, as has been alleged, to encompass the extermina- <br>
tion of the German peoples and their political disappearance. That <br>
which they desire above all is to insure a peace upon the principles of <br>
liberty and justice, upon the inviolable fidelity to international obliga- <br>
tion with which the Government of the United States has never ceased <br>
to be inspired. <br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"United in the pursuits of this supreme object the Allies are deter- <br>
mined, individually and collectively, to act with all their power and <br>
to consent to all sacrifices to bring to a victorious close a conflict upon <br>
which they are convinced not only their own safety and prosperity <br>
depends but also the future of civilization itself." <br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;SHARP.<br>

<hr>
<sup>1</sup>Official print of the Department of State.<br>
<sup>2</sup>Apparent omission