File No. 763.72119/717

The Ambassador in Spain ( Willard ) to the Secretary of State

[Telegram]

740. In personal interview at Santander, 9th instant, His Majesty stated that within the next few months Germany would offer peace terms as follows:

Alsace and Lorraine as one and Poland as another to be independent kingdoms, their kings to be selected either by the belligerent, or by the neutral powers; Servia to be restored and granted an Adriatic port; Belgium to be restored in exchange for the return of Germany’s colonies; Germany to retain a certain part of Roumania.

The King also stated that it was felt the Allies could not flatly reject these terms on account of public sentiment in Allied countries.

In response to my inquiry concerning guarantees His Majesty stated that Prussian militarism was crushed and that Germany recognized her inevitable defeat.

It may be that His Majesty is to be the medium through which these terms will be offered. The German and Austrian Ambassadors had an audience with the King during the few days immediately preceding my audience. I have no reason to believe that His Majesty has communicated the above information to any of Allied colleagues, though the British Ambassador had an audience a few hours before my audience.

Willard