Washington, Feb. 9.
Announcement of American conversations with other neutral Governments created a sensation in political and diplomatic quarters here this afternoon.
First reaction was that Mr. Cordell Hull's declaration was meant to meet the desire of all neutral nations to find some formula permitting at least exploration of peace possibilities before hostilities enter the "Total" stage this spring.
While the neutral parleys do not aim directly at the restoration of pence, they nevertheless may serve to lay the foundation for peace if, as invited, the belligerents decide to participate, the same quarters concluded.—Havas.
France Will Welcome Mr. Welles Paris, Feb, 10.
The French Government will be very pleased to receive the United States Under-Secretary of State, Mr. Sumner Welles, when he tours Europe later this month, and will give him ary information he desires, the Foreign. Office spokesman said last night.
Mr. Williem C. Bullitt, the United States Ambassador to France, now in America to report to the State Department, is reported as stating on his arrival in iBaMinore that he did not believe that the voyage of Mr. Welles would result in an offer of mediation from the United States, since it is understood that the information he receives will be strictly private and confidential.
It was not considered surprising here that, Mr. Welles will proceed to Berlin, rb the United States has had no Ambassador there for many months and therefore there has been little direct information obtained by the State Department from Germany.—United Press.
Mr. Hull saw the Netherlands Minister yesterday morning.
One State Department representative said the talks were not designed to bring about peace in Europe, but concerned what sort of world should be organized after peace.
Well-informed circles generally agree that it would be a mistake to interpret the announcement regarding peace talks with neutrals as in any way an effort to end the present European hostilities.
The Government apparently aims at assuring neutral countries, especially the "have-nots," that their interests will not be overlooked when peace comes to be discussed, and that everything will be done by the United States to ensure genuine lasting peace, in which armaments would be reduced and international commerce re-started. In this connection various high officials, in recent public speeches, emphasized that an enormous problem' would be presented for America as well as other nations by the necessary trade and financial readjustment when the hostilities came to an end.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.