File No. 763.72119/282
The Ambassador in Japan (Guthrie) to the Secretary of State
[Received 3.45 p. m.]
The Minister for Foreign Affairs sent for me at 3 o’clock to inform me that the Allies had agreed on their answer to the German proposals and that it would be delivered by the French Government to the American Ambassador in Paris to be transmitted to Washington. Personally and confidentially he told me that the Imperial Government did not believe that the German overtures were made in good faith, in which opinion the Allies were all agreed, and further, that until Germany was really conscious of her weakness and inability to accomplish the object or world domination for which the war was waged by her, peace was impossible; that he did not believe she was yet conscious of her weakness, and that when she was, would seek another move than that adopted now. I asked him in what manner Germany should make her overtures to convince him of her good faith, but he said that he was not prepared to state beyond the fact that it should be in a different manner. He dwelled upon her assertion that she had been victorious up to this point as [Page 121] evidence that she did not yet believe that she will be unable to wage the war to a victorious conclusion. Our personal conversation was long and frank. The Minister for Foreign Affairs reiterated his conviction of the President’s high and honorable motives in the messages sent by him.