File No. 763.72119/195
The Chargé in Germany (Grew) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 13, 10.10 p. m.]
4722. The Chancellor has just sent for the Spanish Ambassador, the Swiss Minister, and myself, as representatives of the powers protecting German interests in the enemy countries, and delivered to us separately a communication offering to enter into peace negotiations which he requested us to transmit through our respective governments to the governments of the various enemy powers. The [Page 86] Government of the United States is asked to transmit the communication to the Governments of France, Great Britain, Japan, Roumania, Russia, and Serbia. Spain is asked to do the same to Belgium and Portugal, and Switzerland to Italy. I understand that a special note has also been sent to the Pope. It is said that the Chancellor will inform the Reichstag of this step at the special session this afternoon. An English translation of the communication which the Chancellor handed to me both in German and French, and which he said would be given out similarly by Austria-Hungary, Turkey, and Bulgaria to-day, follows:1 . . .
- The Embassy’s translation is not printed, as the English version finally transmitted to the Allied Governments was a new translation made in the Department of State from the French text given out by the German Foreign Office, which was later telegraphed by the Embassy. The French text is printed post, p. 90, and the translation, p. 94.↩