A process for preparing ethylene polymers by the high-pressure method
comprises dissolving one or more free-radical initiators in one or more
ketones of the formula I
##STR1##
where R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are identical or different and are selected from
among C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 -alkyl and C.sub.3 -C.sub.12 -cycloalkyl and
R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 may also be covalently linked to one another to form a
4- to 13-membered ring, prior to the polymerization,
compressing the solution, metering it into the polymerization reactor at
one or more points and subsequently carrying out the polymerization at
from 150 to 380.degree. C. and from 500 to 4500 bar.
