763.72/2374½
The German Embassy to the
Department of State
A 936
Washington,
February 9, 1916.
The Imperial German Embassy presents its compliments to the United States
Department of State and has the honor to enclose herewith two wireless
cipher messages in duplicate, to the Foreign Office in Berlin for kind
transmission to the Tuckerton Radio Station.
Duplicate copies of the text of the messages are likewise enclosed.
[Enclosure 1—Telegram]
The German Ambassador (Bernstorff) to the German Foreign
Office
No. 48. I have informed Mr. Lansing of contents of your wireless No.
29.17 He has not yet received reply from our enemies
concerning his proposal to disarm merchant vessels. Mr. Lansing does
not wish to give me copy of his note till he has received an answer
which he expects will be refusal. Mr. Lansing reminded me of fact
that from the beginning of controversy with us the American
Government always spoke of unarmed merchant vessels (American note
of May 13th 191518). As to objections of Mr. Lansing to the
word “welcome” I refer to Baron Zwiedineks wireless No. 52.19
[File copy not signed]
[Enclosure 2—Telegram]
The Austro-Hungarian Chargé (Zwiedinek) to the Austro-Hungarian Foreign
Office
No. 52. Reply to No. 31. For Baron Burian.
I have informed Mr. Lansing of contents of your radiogram concerning
armed enemy merchant vessels. On this occasion Mr. Lansing called my
attention to a misunderstanding created by the use of the word
“welcome”. He did not wish to imply any initiative on his part and
would not like this idea to prevail. Mr. Lansing, however, repeated
that in his opinion there are certain reasons which might justify
such a declaration on our part. Please acknowledge receipt of this
wireless as Mr. Lansing wishes to know that his point of view is
perfectly clear to my Government.
