763.72/2654
The Secretary of State to President Wilson
My Dear Mr. President: After returning home last evening I took your draft of an answer to the German note and went over it with considerable care.58 I found on reading it that the same impression I had when we discussed it last evening remained with me— namely, that it expressed satisfaction and gratification, which do not appeal to me. While I think our note should be polite I feel we should omit any expression of relief on having avoided a break with
[Page 566]Germany. I also thought the note was longer than was necessary and that it should be limited as far as possible.
With these ideas in mind I made another draft of an answer which I am enclosing,59 together with your original draft. If final decision can be reached early today I will have Gerard instructed to deliver the note and at the same time have it given to the press for publication tomorrow morning. I hope this can be done, for I feel we should delay as little as possible in the matter. Faithfully yours,
- This draft not found in Department files; for the answer as sent, see ibid., p. 263.↩
- Not printed; this draft is almost identical with the answer as sent.↩