Paris Peace Conf. 863.50/37: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Commission to Negotiate Peace
[Received December 22—8 p.m.]
96. Following note dated November 23rd received from French Embassy:
“My Government informs me, and Your Excellency will have no doubt received the same information, that according to a statement made by the Minister of Sweden to France, the Minister of Foreign [Page 207] Affairs at Vienna expresses a wish that the Allied diplomatic missions at Berne be authorized to handle directly all revictualing questions and other questions of economic character, with the Austro-Hungarian Legation.
My Government instructs me to say to Your Excellency that it believes, for its part, that those questions must be handled by the Allied representatives in Switzerland, not directly with that Legation but in accordance with the normal rules, through the Swiss Government. It would, however, be acceptable to let Austro-Hungarian delegates take an unofficial part in the conferences, looking to settlement of certain details, but all official and direct intercourse between the Austro-Hungarian Legation and the diplomatic representatives of the Allies must be formally barred until peace is finally signed. My Government intends to return an answer in that sense to the proposals it has received. I shall be very thankful to Your Excellency if you will kindly let me know whether you take the same view of the questions put before us.”
Following note dated November 29 received from the Swiss legation:
“By direction of my Government, I have the honor to transmit to Your Excellency the following communication of the Austro-Hungarian Ministry for Foreign Affairs:
‘Austro-Hungarian Ministry for Foreign Affairs begs to propose that the diplomatic missions of the Entente Powers at Berne be authorized to enter into direct communication with the Austro-Hungarian legation in that city regarding all matters pertaining to the revictualling of Austria-Hungary and to economic questions. The earliest solution of these urgent matters is of interest to [in interest of] the whole of Europe.’”
Department is disposed to reply to [French Embassy] that it is the opinion of this Government that official and direct intercourse between [Austro-Hungarian] Legation at Berne and the diplomatic representatives of the Allies and the United States must await the signature of peace and that the suggestion of the French Government that these questions be dealt with by the Allied representatives [in Switzerland] through intermediary of the Swiss Government would be satisfactory to this Government provided it proved agreeable to the Swiss authorities. Department proposes to reply to the Swiss Minister that it is the opinion of this Government that direct communication with the Austro-Hungarian Legation representatives in Berne and the representatives of the United States must await the signature of peace. Do you approve of these proposed replies?