763.72/2926b
The Secretary of State to President Wilson
My Dear Mr. President: There are two matters in connection with our foreign affairs which I understand are being industriously used by the Republicans in their attacks against you. I believe that some steps should be taken to correct the misconception which I feel exists among certain of our people in regard to these subjects.
The first of these is our failure to protest against the German invasion of Belgium. As to that, there is no difficulty, I believe, in making it perfectly clear why we did not protest and why we should not have protested. It is only a question of the best method of giving publicity to our explanation. Possibly it might be done by you either in a letter or in an address.
[Page 570]The second subject is more difficult to deal with. It is the delay which has occurred in the Lusitania case. Of course, there are reasons for our deliberation which cannot be made public, chief of these being the fact that in the summer of 1915 there was a strong element in the German Government which considered war with the United States desirable, and this powerful faction, headed by Tirpitz, was not subdued by their opponents until last winter. I am not at all satisfied in my own mind how to meet this complaint, which is being successfully used, as I am informed, in certain parts of the country by the opponents of the Administration. It is possible that I could see Bernstorff and take up the settlement of the case along the lines agreed upon last winter, which were interrupted by the declaration of February 10 as to Germany’s attitude in dealing with armed merchant vessels.62 Whether anything could be accomplished along this line at the present time I am not sure, as I presume the German Government, or at least its representatives in this country, would be disposed to delay a settlement on account of the approaching election. Nevertheless, it might be worth while attempting it in order to remove the charge that we were simply letting matters drift. Of course, another way would be to make a public statement of the whole negotiations, but to make it effective would require, I fear, the disclosing of much of the confidential negotiations which have taken place. Doubtless we would be justified in doing this, but at the same time it might cause very considerable resentment on the part of the German Government.
I lay these matters before you, as I consider them of very great importance at the present time. May I have your judgment as to what should be done in regard to them?
Very sincerely yours,