File No. 763.72119/191

The Chargé in Germany (Grew) to the Secretary of State

[Telegram]

4700. Department’s 3644, December 5, 5 p. m.1 Message was received on December 2 and action reported in my 4688 [4689], December 5, 3 p. m.2

I applied for an interview with the Chancellor on the day the message arrived, and was received by him on December 5.

When presenting the Ambassador’s congratulations to Zimmermann yesterday, he told me in informal conversation that the Chancellor had already discussed with him the Department’s attitude towards the question of taking steps looking towards peace and he said that the Chancellor’s reply would be “ favorable and friendly.” I am informed that the Chancellor is leaving to-night for General Headquarters.

The taking of Bucharest has made a very strong impression in Berlin.

The Chancellor sent for me this evening and said that the reply of the German Government to the representations regarding the Belgian deportations contained in the Department’s 3621, November 29, 3 p. m.3 would be made to me by Zimmermann shortly. He, however, wished to reply immediately himself, before leaving for General Headquarters to-night, to the statement regarding the President’s attitude toward the question of taking steps looking towards peace, and he proceeded to make to me the following confidential oral communication:

The German Government, desirous of maintaining amicable relations with the United States, has given proof of its willingness to settle incidents arising between the two nations in a friendly spirit by the reply recently transmitted to the American Government in the Marina and Arabia cases. It is with great satisfaction that I have noted that the President of the United States offers to open pourparlers for peace. Negotiations have so far not met with favorable response from the other side. I hope the time will come when Germany’s enemies will be more willing to lend an ear to the voice of reason. I am [Page 82] extremely gratified to see from the message yon were good enough to deliver to me that in this eventuality I can count upon the sincere and practical cooperation of the President in the restoration of peace as much as the President can count on the practical cooperation of the German authorities.

The Chancellor then conversed with me informally for a time, alluding to Mr. Gerard’s return and the fact that he would be held up in Kirkwall, as he smilingly asked whether it pleased the United States to have its citizens subjected to search by the British authorities in that port, as had recently happened to the son of Carl Schurz on his way from America to Denmark. He remarked, still smilingly, that he felt that the United States could put a stop to such procedure if it wished.

Grew
  1. Ante, p. 79.
  2. Post, p. 868.
  3. Ante, p. 70.