763.72/1795½
President Wilson to the Secretary of State
My Dear Mr. Secretary: Here is at last a message from House (which I finished deciphering last evening) which seems to afford a gleam of hope.
In compliance with its suggestion, I have prepared a despatch to Gerard. If you approve of it, I hope that you will have it sent at once to-day, since time would seem to be of the essence.77
At the same time will you not take extraordinary precautions to keep all of this within the narrowest possible confidential circle and prevent a leak at any cost! I shall myself speak of it to absolutely nobody.
Faithfully yours,
From House, London May 21st.
“Sir Edward Grey has talked with the present cabinet ministers and with the opposition members that are to come in and he says in his opinion this government will now consider the suggestion you made to both Germany and England in your note of February 22d [20th],78 provided some additions to cover poisonous gas. There is no question as to bargaining, I think, as far as we are concerned. That is a matter between England and Germany in which we are using our good offices. If successful it will close our contentions with both nations. It looks as if it might be successful if Germany consents to make the proposal. I would suggest it be now unofficially and confidentially taken up with Gerard from Washington. Gerard [Page 413] could then make it clear to the German government, as I have to the British Government, that you in no way concede any of our rights in the premises.”
The above needs this explanation: House had intimated to me in an earlier despatch what he found Sir Edward Grey’s views and disposition in this matter to be, and I had asked him to find out how far Sir Edward would be supported in those views. Then came his request that you send the message to Gerard about which you wrote me, asking for delay in the German reply to our recent note. I had heard from House to the same effect when I was in New York. I hastened to cable him that he must take pains to make it very clear indeed, not only in London but also in all that he said to Gerard, that we were proposing no bargaining, so far as our rights were concerned; that what England did to Germany or Germany to England did not release either of them from any part of their obligation to respect our rights.
This will make clear, I hope, the reference in the above.
- For the telegram as sent, see Foreign Relations, 1915, supp., p. 406.↩
- Ibid., p. 119.↩