763.72112/710d
The Secretary of State to President Wilson
My Dear Mr. President: I am enclosing a telegram drawn along the line suggested in my letter of yesterday and approved in principle by you.9
We have tried to make this telegram as mild and inoffensive as we can make it and yet cover the matters which it was necessary to include. It is submitted for your consideration and criticism.
[Page 364]The only suggestion I have to make is in regard to the question as to whether we shall propose to distribute food from this country only or from any neutral country. I am inclined to think that we had better put in parenthesis, after the word “United States”, the words “or from any neutral country desiring us to act for it.”
My reason for inclining to this is that it might seem selfish of us if our effort was confined to food from this country. It is not likely that any other country would ask us because I think we could persuade Great Britain to let each neutral country distribute food exported by it to Germany. If, however, we confine our offer to our country and Great Britain refuses to extend the same arrangement to other countries, it would create great complaint and the unselfishness of our purpose would be questioned.
However, this is merely a suggestion and relates only to a detail. I am deeply impressed with the importance of this communication. I believe the time is ripe for the proposal and it will be hailed with rejoicing by all neutral countries if it succeeds—and I think the sober second thought of the belligerent countries would support it, for surely they cannot find any excuse except the sternest necessity for the resort to such unusual, not to say cruel, remedies as they propose.
With assurances [etc.]
- For the telegram as sent, see ibid., p. 119.↩