File No. 861.48/172
The Ambassador in Austria-Hungary (Penfield) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 9, 8.40 a. m.]
1374. Your 1302, July 21,2 circular August 4, 9 p. m.,3 and my 1354, July 26, 7 p. m.3 Ministry for Foreign Affairs reply as follows to letter from President to Emperor provisionally communicated telegraphically.
Reply will be transmitted subsequent to arrival of original letter; in the meantime Minister for Foreign Affairs notifies Ambassador for tentative information that Austro-Hungarian military authorities cherish lively interest in any measures tending to help population of occupied territories lacking provisions and promote as far as possible any effort arrive international agreement for provisioning same. The military authorities would obligate themselves not to remove supplies from occupied territory in manner and quantity that subsistence of population would be jeopardized. They would be prepared [to] guarantee [that] any provisions supplied by neutral countries would accrue to benefit inhabitants of occupied territories and used for no other purpose.
[Page 907]However, guarantee that other products respective territories will not be used in interior could not be given by authorities. Exactly out of these humanitarian considerations which prompt American relief action, it appears impracticable to the military authorities to prohibit exportation agricultural products from occupied territory; for if traffic between such territories were now stopped (?) inhabitants of Poland always dependent upon export of agrarian products, would be most sensibly affected thereby and hindered in providing those articles of necessity which they are accustomed to draw from interior and which must be charitably provided.
Under these conditions Austro-Hungarian military would gladly consider any suggestions regarding provisioning of Poland and awaits with interest the proposals of American Government in this regard.