File No. 855.48/142
The Ambassador in Germany (Gerard) to the
Secretary of State
No. 399]
Berlin,
January 2, 1915.
[Received January 16.]
Sir: With reference to my despatch No. 376,
dated December 28, 1914,1 on the subject of the arrangements for supplying the
population of Belgium with food, I have the honor to transmit to you
herewith a copy of an unofficial note, written by me to his excellency
Mr. Zimmermann, Imperial
Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs, relative to the desire of
the Belgian Relief Commission that the German military authorities in
Belgium will not make any further requisitions of food supplies, while
the international commissions are sending in food, and of a reply
received from the Undersecretary, dated December 31, 1914. My telegram
No. 1195, of December 26 last, informed you of my action in this
matter.2
I have [etc.]
[Enclosure 1]
The American Ambassador (Gerard) to the German
Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Zimmermann)
F. O. No. 1574]
Berlin,
December 28, 1914.
My Dear Mr. Secretary: After my call on
you last Saturday, on which occasion I was not acting officially,
but as one of the honorary chairmen of the Belgian Relief
Commission, I sent to my Government and to the chairmen of the
commission the following telegram:
Acting not officially, but as one of honorary chairmen
Belgian Relief Commission, called to-day with Spanish
Ambassador and Netherlands Minister on Undersecretary of
State Zimmermann,
who gladly and without hesitation assured us that commanding
general in Belgium will give assurances to American,
Spanish, and Netherlands Ministers in Belgium that German
military authorities will not make any further requisitions
of food supplies in Belgium while the international
commissions are sending in food, and for a reasonable time
after the last delivery.
There is, however, another matter in which the Belgian Relief
Commission required the assurance of the German Government. Supplies
are being sent to Belgium in British ships. These ships fly the flag
of the commission, and carry nothing but these supplies for Belgium.
Will the Imperial Government not give a public assurance that these
boats will not only not be interfered with on the voyage to Belgium,
but that there will be no interference with these ships on their
return to British ports, so long as they return direct to such ports
and sail under the flag of the commission?
I have [etc.]
[Enclosure 2—Translation]
The German Undersecretary of State for Foreign
Affairs (Zimmermann) to the American Ambassador (Gerard)
No. 11 W K. Be. 343/107002]
Berlin,
December 31, 1914.
The undersigned has the honor to inform his excellency Mr. Gerard, Ambassador of the United
States of America, with reference to the esteemed note of
[Page 1026]
the 28th instant, that
the Imperial Governor General in Belgium will issue without delay an
order prohibiting all the troops under his command from
requisitioning food or forage of any kind whatsoever which would
require to be replaced by importations by the American committee for
Belgian relief. The Governor General will in addition authorize the
Minister of the United States of America and the Spanish Minister at
Brussels, as honorary chairmen of the committee, to convince
themselves in any way which may to them appear advisable that the
prohibition is observed most scrupulously.
With regard to the desire that non-neutral ships bringing food for
Belgium may not be interfered with on their return to British ports,
and that assurances to this effect might be given, reference is
respectfully made to the note verbale of the
24th instant, No. 3 of which contains provisions dealing with this
desire.
The undersigned avails [etc.]
