Office of the Historian

763.72112/3010½

President Wilson to the Secretary of State

West End, N. J., 29 September, 1916.

My Dear Mr. Secretary: I think it would be quite unjustifiable to do anything for the sake of public opinion which might change the whole face of our foreign relations. Therefore I think it would be most unwise to send a message like this.8

I had a talk with Walter Page of the most explicit kind, and am sure that he will be able to convey to the powers that be in London a very clear impression of the lamentable and dangerous mistakes they are making. I covered the whole subject matter here dealt with in a way which I am sure left nothing to be desired in the way of explicitness or firmness of tone; and I think that our method had better stop with that for the time being. Let us forget the campaign so far as matters of this sort are concerned.

Faithfully Yours,

W. W.
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