Mr. BULLITT.  No, sir; I was not.  Then upon order of Col.  House, to whom the matter had been referred, I prepared this declaration of policy.  I prepared it in conjunction with Mr. Whitney Shepherdson, who was Col.  House’s assistant secretary, and also versed in international law.  I do not know that this is of any importance, aside from the fact that it is almost the only direct proposition to accept their proposal which was prepared.  Col.  House took this and held it under advisement and discussed it, I believe, with the President and other persons.

The CHAIRMAN.  It had better be printed.

The document referred to is as follows: 

A PROPOSED DECLARATION OF POLICY TO BE ISSUED IN THE NAME OF THE
ASSOCIATED GOVERNMENTS AND AN OFFER OF AN ARMISTICE

The representatives of the States assembled in conference at Paris recently extended an invitation to the organized groups in Russia to lay down their arms and to send delegates to Prince’s Island.  These delegates were asked to “confer with the representatives of the associated powers in the freest and frankest way, with a view to ascertaining the wishes of all sections of the Russian people and bringing about, if possible, some understanding and agreement by which Russia may work out her own purposes and happy cooperative relations may be established between her people and the other peoples of the world.”  The truce of arms was not declared, and the meeting did not take place.

The people of Russia are laboring to-day to establish the system of government under which they shall live.  Their task is one of unparalleled difficulty, and should not be further complicated by the existence of misapprehensions among the Russian people or throughout the world.  Therefore, the representatives of the associated powers, now sitting in the conference of Paris, have determined to state publicly what they had in mind to say through their delegates to Prince’s Island concerning the policies which govern their relations with the Russian people.

They wish to make it plain that they do not intend to interfere in any way with the solution of the political, social, or economic problems of Russia.  They believe that the peace of the world will largely depend upon a right settlement of these matters; but they equally recognize that any right settlement must proceed from the Russian people themselves, unembarrassed by influence or direction from without.  On the other hand, the associated powers desired to have it clearly understood that they can have no dealings with any Russian Government which shall invade the territory of its neighbors or seek to impose its will upon other peoples by force.  The full authority and military power of the associated governments will stand in the way of any such attempt.