File No. 763.72/2356
The Ambassador in Great Britain (Page) to the Secretary of State
[Received 6 p. m.]
3365. Your circular of January 26, 5 [4] p. m.3 It is clear from further informal personal conversations with British officials that this proposal will cause a severer strain on Anglo-American relations than all the controversies of the war since our effort to have the Declaration of London adopted entire. I am told also that all [Page 153] Allies will regard it, as the British Government does, as a yielding to German influences. The truth is that at this stage of the war it is doubtful if any agreement can be made on any subject between all the belligerents; and every such neutral effort will be regarded by one side or the other as inspired by the enemy and therefore as more or less unfriendly interference.
Should such a proposal be urged, it would probably provoke a sharp and perhaps angry reply from all the Allies, if I judge correctly from what I hear. If it should be made public with your comments, it would inflame British public opinion against us, and it therefore seems to me prudent, after my conversations with Grey, to advise strongly against pursuing your tentative suggestion and that you treat it as you did the proposal about the Declaration of London.