File No. 763.72112/806a
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Great Britain (Page)
1156. Your despatch of [day before] yesterday presents the first ray of hope. You will please follow it up and earnestly urge submission of some proposition looking to admission of food for non-combatants, same to be distributed by American agency in return for concessions of equal importance to be made by Germany. You will hasten to call British Government’s attention to the fact that words employed by German Ambassador were not to the British Government and not intended to be communicated, but merely a statement to us which we confidentially communicated. The language, [Page 112] therefore, however objectionable, ought not to stand in the way of any agreement that would otherwise be desirable. Some such agreement as that proposed will greatly relieve the tension and be most cordially welcomed by the neutral nations.