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  4. Document 4

763.72/406

Memorandum by the Counselor for the Department of State (Lansing)

[Washington,] August 16, 1914.

At 10:15 A. M., August 16, 1914, I handed the annexed paper9 to the Chancellor of the German Embassy at the office of the Embassy. I stated to him that the paper was a copy of a communication received by the Department from the American Ambassador at Berlin, who further telegraphed that the German Foreign Office requested the Department to forward the same to the German Ambassador at Tokio.

I explained to the Chancellor that, as it seemed possible for him to communicate with the German Ambassador in Tokio, it might be considered improper for the Department to be the medium of communication between the German Government and its representative in any other country except the United States. I handed in the paper therefore for him to take such action in regard to it as he might consider advisable.

The Chancellor stated that he understood perfectly the position of the Department and thought its course was the proper one and that [Page 5] he believed he could communicate by telegraph with the German Ambassador at Tokio.

I further stated that in case he found it impossible to send the communication of his Government to its destination, in such an emergency the Department would consider the propriety of becoming a medium of communication for his Government in forwarding the paper.

The Chancellor asked if the Department had any comments to make upon the declarations set forth in the annexed paper, and I informed him that at the present time, in view of the fact that the German Government had not invited comment, the Department did not think it proper or necessary to make any.

Robert Lansing

[There follows this notation in Secretary Bryan’s hand:

“On evening of 16th I telephoned German Embassy asking if he had been able to send message. He replied it had been sent and he thought it would reach Tokio. I reiterated statement made by Mr. Lansing that we would send it if he failed to find a way to send it.”]

  1. Telegram of Aug. 13, 1914, 8 p. m., from the Ambassador in Germany, Foreign Relations, 1914, supp., p. 169.↩