I saw Mr. Balfour that afternoon with Sir Eric Drummond, who at that time was acting as his secretary.  He is now secretary of the league of nations.  We discussed the entire matter.  Sir William Wiseman told me afterward that Mr. Balfour was thoroughly in favor of the proposition.

Well, to cut the story short, first the President referred the matter to Col.  House.  He left his decision on the matter with Col.  House, as was his usual course of procedure in most such matters.  Mr. Lloyd George also agreed in advance to leave the preparation of the proposal to Col.  House; that is, he said he would be disposed to go at least as far as we would and would follow the lead of the President and Col.  House.  Col.  House thereupon asked me to prepare a reply to this proposal, which I did.

Col.  House in the meantime had seen Mr. Orlando, and Mr. Orlando had expressed himself as entirely in favor of making peace on this basis, at least so Col.  House informed me at the time.  The French, I believe, had not yet been approached formally on the matter.

Senator KNOX.  By the way, right here, you say Mr. Lloyd George advised you to make your report public.  Did you make it public?

Mr. BULLITT.  No, sir.  Mr. Lloyd George desired me to make it public for the enlightenment that he thought it might give to public opinion.

Senator KNOX.  But you did not do it?

BULLITT REPORT SUPPRESSED

Mr. BULLITT.  I attempted to.  I prepared a statement for the press based on my report, giving the facts, which I submitted to the commission to be given out.  No member of the commission was ready to take the responsibility for publicity in the matter and it was referred to the President.  The President received it and decided that he did not want it given out.  He thought he would rather keep it secret, and in spite of the urgings of the other commissioners he continued to adhere to that point of view, and my report has never been made public until this moment.

Col.  House asked me to prepare a declaration of policy, a statement based on this proposal of the Soviet Government.  It was to be an ironclad declaration which we knew in advance would be accepted by the Soviet Government if we made it, and he thought that the President and Mr. Lloyd George would put it through.

Senator BRANDEGEE.  Did you attend that meeting of the commission when that report was considered by the American Commission?

Mr. BULLITT.  I first handed each member of the commission my report.  I had appeared before them and discussed my mission for an entire day.  They sat in the morning and in the afternoon.

Senator BRANDEGEE.  I wondered whether you were present when the President thought it would be better not to give it out, not to make it public.