763.72119/2866
The Minister in Switzerland (
Stovall
) to the Secretary of
State
No. 5285
Berne
, November
19, 1918.
[Received December 4.]
Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith a
copy of a communication addressed by Dr. Edgar Jaffe, Minister of
Finance of the Bavarian Government, to Dr. George D. Herron of
Geneva.
I have [etc.]
[Enclosure]
The Bavarian Minister of Finance (
Jaffe
) to Dr. George D.
Herron
München
, 18
November, 1918.
Many thanks for your telegram of the 14th whose contents I have
communicated immediately to the president of ministry. We know
[Page 22]
well what a great difference
there is between the conditions of armistice that have been
communicated to us and the conditions of peace which we do not know
yet. But on the other hand we must refer most energetically to the
fact that just the immense heaviness of the original conditions of
the armistice contains in itself the great danger to cause just the
thing which the Allies as well as ourselves must consider the
greatest evil, that is, the dissolution of all ordered state of
things and their change into complete anarchy. The alleviations of
the conditions of armistice that have been communicated have already
dispelled part of the danger, but further consideration, especially
with regard to the demanded consignment of locomotives, railway-cars
and automobiles would be necessary, because otherwise our whole
system of transportation would be disorganized and therefore the
demobilization of the army as well as the food and coal supply in
the interior could not be done in an orderly way. All obstruction of
this kind may cause the breaking down of the whole traffic. An early
publication of the conditions of peace would be the best means of
giving back quiet and confidence to our people. You can be assured
that the old powers of militarism have been destroyed so thoroughly
here that there is no danger of their returning. The new democratic
governments in the realm (Reich) as well as in the confederate
states have the power firmly in their hands, and the danger of a
reaction either from the right or from the left seems to me
completely overcome. We shall go on our way firmly and steadfastly.
The new Germany will cooperate in all those great tasks that have
been put to civilized humanity, and she hopes to begin this work
hand in hand with the other great world-democracies. I can assure
you that the position which the President of the United States has
taken until now in the question of armistice and the conditions of
peace has already created a complete change in the whole of public
opinion in Germany. I beg you most heartily to do all you can that
the President continues to go on this way.
In old friendship and with fraternal greetings,
Yours,
