Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, 1914, Supplement, The World War

File No. 763.72119/115

The Swiss Political Department to the Swiss Legation at Washington

Berne , November 11, 1914.
[Communicated by the Swiss Minister
to the Secretary of State,
November 12, 1914.]

[Telegram—Extracts]

President Wilson is said to have expressed to a deputation of American women his willingness to take preliminary steps for negotiations with a view of bringing about peace upon desire of neutral states.¹

How was the petition submitted on the first of November by Social Democratic parliamentarians to all Governments of neutral states received in Washington?¹

With utmost caution and avoiding absolutely any publicity, American Government should be sounded whether President Wilson would be willing to enter into parleys with Swiss and other neutral governments, and, if possible, agree upon a common offer of mediation to be tendered at a given time. The moment for such an offer has, of course, not arrived yet. The preliminaries, however, would require much time.

The Swiss Government assumes that, for the purpose of preparation, a conference of delegates of neutral states should, under the presidency of the American delegate, meet in a European city and agree upon the modalities of procedure. Later the date for tendering the offer of mediation and an eventual program would have to be discussed.

1. According to a letter from the Swiss Minister, February 8, 1927, in regard to this communication, “Mr. Bryan answered immediately to the first two sentences, saying that President Wilson did not hold the conversation with a deputation of American women which had been attributed to him, and that nothing had been heard in Washington of a petition of Socialist parliamentarians addressed to the Government of the United States.”
1. According to a letter from the Swiss Minister, February 8, 1927, in regard to this communication, “Mr. Bryan answered immediately to the first two sentences, saying that President Wilson did not hold the conversation with a deputation of American women which had been attributed to him, and that nothing had been heard in Washington of a petition of Socialist parliamentarians addressed to the Government of the United States.”