763.72/2375½
Memorandum, by the Secretary of State of a Conversation With the Austro-Hungarian Chargé (Zwiedinek), February 9, 1916
Baron Zwiedinek brought and showed me a wireless telegram, dated February 6th,20 in reply to his wireless of January 26th,21 although it appeared to be addressed to the German Embassy. After reading the telegram I pointed out to Zwiedinek that, when it used the words “welcomed by Mr. Lansing” in reference to the declaration which Germany and Austria-Hungary proposed to publish, the Governments were unwarranted in doing so as I had not intended to convey any such meaning in our previous conversation.
The Chargé replied that I had had the opportunity to see the telegram which he sent to his Government on the subject and must recall that he reported I would “welcome” a declaration.
I told him that that was so but that I did not propose to pass on the correctness of a report and thus become sponsor for the truth of the statements made, that I had not done so formerly and did not intend to begin such a practice.
He replied that he had understood me to say “welcome.”
I told him that he would recall that he had asked me about the reports that we had approached the Allies on the subject of disarming all merchant vessels and that I confidentially went into some detail as to the modus proposed; that I had explained to him that we had not communicated with the Central Powers because we were only asking them to abide by the law while we were asking the Allies to modify the law; that, after some discussion of the use of the submarine, in which the reasonableness of the modus was emphasized, he had said that the German and Austrian Governments held the view that they could not warn armed merchant vessels and had in mind the issuing of a declaration to that effect; and that he asked me when I thought it would be well to do this, to which I replied that the sooner it was done the better.
(In making this latter statement I had in mind, though I could not tell Zwiedinek, the desirability of having a declaration of this sort before the final settlement of the Lusitania case, if such a policy was to be adopted, as it would materially affect the assurances which the German Government had given respecting merchant vessels, and I did not wish that the case after settlement should be reopened.)
The Chargé said that my language seemed to him to warrant his telegram.
I said that I saw how he might have gained that impression and that my language was unfortunate but that, as I had not intended [Page 342] to convey such a meaning, I hoped that he would so advise his Government.
He left with the assurance that he would at once communicate the substance of our conversation to Vienna.22