Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, The Lansing Papers, 1914–1920, Volume I

763.72/1764½

President Wilson to the Secretary of State

Washington, 20 May, 1915.

My Dear Mr. Secretary: It is very interesting indeed that this course of action⁷⁶ should have occurred to Mr. Johnson quite independently of any knowledge that it should have been in our minds as among the possibilities.

I think, however as I did the other day, that this is at any rate not just the right moment to take such action, even if we have the legal right to take it.

Faithfully Yours,

W. W.

76. The reference is probably to the proposal to warn American citizens against traveling on armed merchant ships. See pp. 404–406.