Paris Peace Conf. 763.72114/4
The Minister in Switzerland (
Stovall
) to the Commission to
Negotiate Peace
No. 13
Berne
, December
11, 1918.
[Received December 17.]
Sirs: I have the honor to transmit herewith a
copy of a note from the Swiss Political Department dated December 7,
1918, enclosing four communications intended to be delivered to the
Government of the United States but which apparently did not reach their
destination for some reason which I am unable to ascertain. In
connection with the enclosed documents I should be glad to learn whether
the American Mission to Negotiate Peace desires that documents of a
similar nature be forwarded to Paris [by?] telegram or be forwarded by
mail by the first available courier. I should also be glad to learn
whether the American Mission desires that translations be made in the
Legation or be left to the translators of the Mission itself.
I have [etc.]
[Enclosure—Translation]
The Swiss Political
Department to the American Legation
in Switzerland
D. A. 58/1
The Swiss Political Department has the honor to enclose herewith to
the Legation of the United States of America at Berne, four copies
of different communications which it had communicated, to the Swiss
Legation at Washington to be transmitted to the Government of the
United States, in cables which did not reach their destination.
The Political Department will be extremely obliged to the Legation of
the United States if it would forward these different documents to
their destination.
The Department seizes this opportunity to renew to the Legation of
the United States of America, the assurances of its high
consideration.
[Subenclosure 1—Telegram—Translation]
The Swiss Political
Department to the Swiss Legation at
Washington
D. A. 58/1. At the request of the German Government will you transmit
the following communication to the Government of the United States:
“On account of the condition of transport the repatriation of
Russian and Rumanian prisoners of war is almost entirely
necessitated
[Page 47]
by sea
routes and a longer stay of these prisoners-of-war in
Germany would mean the breaking down of the feeding system
and with that every order in the State. German Government
begs in the interest of these 700,000 prisoners-of-war and
civil prisoners who are still in Germany that ships from the
German North Sea and Baltic harbors as well as with
Holland’s consent from Rotterdam be permitted under a
special flag to have free passage through the North and
Baltic Seas to the Baltic or North Russian harbors and
through the Atlantic and Mediterranean to South Russian and
Rumanian harbors to effect the repatriation of Russian and
Rumanian prisoners-of-war.”
[Subenclosure 2—Translation]
The German Legation in
Switzerland to the Swiss Political
Department
[
Berne
,] 28
November, 1918.
- 1.
- The German Government offers for consideration whether it
would not be in the interest of all countries concerned that
during the Armistice all telegraphic communication between
Germany enemy countries and the neutral countries across enemy
countries be resumed.
- 2.
- In order to assure the speedy early reopening of the German
cable service destroyed on the enemy’s side in the course of the
war it is to be desired that the repairing of the cable by
German cable ships be begun during the Armistice.
- 3.
- The German Government requests the American Government
especially that wireless service between Nauen and Eilwese on
the one hand and the American stations of Sayville and Tuckerton
on the other hand be resumed forthwith.
[Subenclosure 3—Telegram—Translation]
The Swiss Political
Department to the Swiss Legation at
Washington
O. F. 40. At the urgent request of the Austro-German Government would
you hand the Government of the United States the following
communication:
Entente troops have occupied the Bacska South Hungary where
there are important grain supplies. Besides the
Czecho-Slovac troops have occupied a part of Upper Hungary
where there are large quantities of potatoes. The quickest
aid which Entente can give the German-Austrian provinces
(which) lacking in food stuffs would consist in, sending in
advance grain and potatoes from these provinces to
Vienna.
[Berne,] November 22, 1918.
[Page 48]
[Subenclosure 4—Translation]
The German Minister in Switzerland (
Romberg
) to the President of the Swiss Federal
Council (
Calonder
)
A. I. 19576
The undersigned German Minister in conformity to instructions
received has the honor to respectfully request the Swiss Government
to communicate the following telegraphically to the Government of
the United States of America:
According to telegraphic news Mr. Hoover is on his way to
Europe. The German Government requests the American
Government to empower Mr. Hoover with the organizing of the
import of food stuffs into Germany. German experts would be
placed at his service for his information at the Hague.
The undersigned takes this opportunity to renew to His Excellency the
President of the Republic the assurances of his distinguished
consideration.
