File No. 763.72119/48
The Ambassador in Germany (Gerard) to the Secretary of State
[Received March 16, 4.20 p. m.]
1847. It is forbidden here to discuss publicly terms of peace. Recently an industrial society formed to counterbalance the agricultural societies, called the Hansabund, and other societies petitioned the Chancellor asking that the public discussion of peace terms be permitted. This is however not a peace movement but a method of trying to force the Government’s hand in the question of keeping Belgium. The Government and the Chancellor are at present unwilling to state that Belgium shall be kept and the Chancellor’s political opponents are trying to either force the Chancellor out of office or force the Government to announce now that Germany will keep Belgium. The hate against the United States persists. Even if an embargo should be placed on the export of arms, this would not do away with the hatred against the United States which existed prior to the war and is based on more far-reaching causes.