File No. 763.72112/193
The Ambassador in Great Britain (Page) to the Secretary of State
London, October 20, 1914, 11 p.m.
[Telegram]
Your 323.1 To be deciphered Lansing only and shown to the President. I hope we can find Sir Edward Grey’s proposal acceptable as an emergency working plan. Our Government in dealing [Page 256] with our shippers can throw the whole responsibility Great Britain. I believe that the practical working of the plan will develop few grievances and interruptions.
There are certain large facts to remember. Every other belligerent government than Great Britain is now wholly military. Their foreign secretaries have ceased to act independently. Many departments of this Government also have been taken under the control of the War Department and the Foreign Office would no doubt have before now been so controlled but for the strong personality of Sir Edward Grey. If the War Department should control the Foreign Office, as it may in case of military or naval disaster, negotiations such as these would be practically suspended and it would probably be impossible to make any satisfactory diplomatic arrangement. It is no time for arguing a case for general conduct but only for the best action possible in a great emergency. We have practically no direct commerce with Germany; and we have commerce with neutral countries on the North Sea only because Great Britain has been unwilling to have that sea mined and because Sir Edward Grey has held his department as no other belligerent foreign secretary has. If we have a quarrel now, the new peace treaty will require its submission to a commission and we can recover only the same damages which we may recover under Grey’s proposal without a quarrel. Our own Government upheld the doctrine of continuous voyage during the Civil War which Grey now, in a similar necessity, wishes us to let pass without formal protest.
Anderson was with me at yesterday’s conference and concurs in this telegram and at my request is sending one of his own.
If you cannot accept Grey’s proposal, please ask President to send House here for a conference before further action is taken. Grey will go the furthest length under these unprecedented conditions to respect our rights and wishes but he will not consent to admit war materials to Germany. It seems to me that it would be the greatest misfortune in the world to permit a serious difference now between these two Governments. Under Grey’s plan we can throw full responsibility on British Government and we will suffer the least possible delay or damage or indignity. But if we assume that we are working under normal conditions and proceed with elaborate arguments on that assumption, we shall have a break, gain no substantial advantage, and alienate the two Governments and peoples for a generation. The hope of every patriotic man on either side of the ocean will be disappointed and such good will as is now left in the world will be gone.