763.72/2926½
President Wilson to the Secretary of State
My Dear Mr. Secretary: I think the matter of protesting against the invasion of Belgium has been made sufficiently plain to our public.
As for the other matter, it might be well to take up a settlement of the Lusitania outrage with Bernstorff if he thinks it can be settled now without soon widening into the ancient difficulty. Let me warn you that negotiation at the present time is very dangerous because it affords the German Government an opportunity to play into the hands of the German mischief makers on this side of the water [Page 571] and supply them with campaign material by all sorts of false impressions. Please go very slowly in this critical matter. The atmosphere of the moment is a most unfavourable one for the handling of things of this kind . . .
Please keep me informed of any conversations you may have with him, and take no step without my advice.
At present I hope that the Department will confine itself as much as possible to routine matters. We should ourselves no doubt be unconsciously influenced by political considerations and that would be most unfair to the country.
With sincere regard,
Faithfully Yours,
P. S. Please be patient in awaiting replies to your communications from this distracting place.