841.857 Ar 1/90½
Mr. Rudolph Forster (
Executive Clerk to the President
) to the Secretary of
State
Washington,
August 21, 1915.
Dear Mr. Lansing: Mr. Tumulty has asked me to
send you a copy of a note which he dictated over the telephone this
morning.
Sincerely yours,
[Page 469]
[Enclosure]
Mr. J. P. Tumulty (
Secretary to the President
) to President
Wilson
Avon, N. J.,
August 21, 1915.
My Dear Governor: I intended to return to
Washington immediately upon receipt of the news of the sinking of
the Arabic but upon second thought determined
to remain here until Sunday afternoon. Realizing the seriousness of
the situation, I thought that it would be wise to leave you free. My
time here, however, is occupied in considering the issue raised by
the sinking of this ship. My mind is clear as to the following:
- 1.
- The people are very calm and apparently are unmoved by
this new situation. But they have an unfaltering confidence
in the President and are willing to follow him wherever he
may wish to go.
- 2.
- There is no jingoistic sentiment among the people.
- 3.
- Radical action is not demanded (by radical action I mean a
declaration of war and a severance of all relations with
Germany).
- 4.
- There is, however, a universal demand for the recall of
von Bernstorff and the withdrawal of Gerard. If no radical
action is intended, the latter course should follow very speedily after an ascertainment of
all the facts in the matter. The very heart of
action of this kind lies in the speed and the expedition in
which it is carried out and done.
