Office of the Historian

763.72/3355½

The Secretary of State to President Wilson

Washington, February 10, 1917.

My Dear Mr. President: Thank you for letting me see Colonel House’s letter of the 8th96 with Professor Hays’ [Hayes’?] memorandum on armed neutrality, which I herewith return.97

Colonel House’s information from Cardeza98 confirms our reports as to the Austrian situation.

Phillips had a long talk last evening with Tarnowski.98a The latter said that his Government is most anxious to avoid breaking off relations and hoped that we could find some subject for conversations. I think this can be done, as Austria last spring complained of the illegal attacks of French submarines and we can ask an explanation of their attitude then and now, thus providing a reasonable basis for discussion.

If we could meanwhile persuade the Entente Governments to so modify their peace terms that Austria would not feel that they meant the dismemberment of that Empire, I believe something might be done to lessen Austrian dependence on Germany. If any means could be found to weaken their alliance, it would be a decided step toward peace. Of course this is a hope rather than an expectation, but I think that it is worth trying, since we know the desperate internal situation of Austria and also because from now on our intercourse with Austria’s representative here will not be under the influence of the German Ambassador.

If these suggestions meet with your approval I would like to know it in order that the machinery may be set in motion.

Faithfully yours,

Robert Lansing
  1. See Charles Seymour, The Intimate Papers of Colonel House, vol. II, p. 448.↩
  2. The President had written on February 9: “I think you will be interested to read this letter from House and the accompanying memorandum. Please let me have them back when you have read them.” (File No. 763.72/3355½.) There are no enclosures with file copy of this letter.↩
  3. Secretary to Ambassador Penfield in Austria-Hungary.↩
  4. For correspondence previously printed concerning the position of the Austro-Hungarian Ambassador designate, Count Tarnowski, see Foreign Relations, 1916, supp., pp. 798–807, and ibid., 1917, supp. 1, pp. 38, 112, 143, 169, 177, 178–179, 186, 188, 193, 594–598.↩