File No. 763.72119/174

The Minister in Switzerland ( Stovall ) to the Secretary of State

[Telegram]

418. To the President and Secretary of State. In answer to various peace petitions presented to the Swiss Federal Council, that body has reported to the Swiss Parliament, now in session in Berne, “We can only repeat what we have already said. So long as in the belligerent states themselves public opinion shall not be modified and a currying of public opinion in favor of peace shall not prevail to prepare the way for a pacific intervention of neutral nations, it would be vain and even dangerous to take the initiative in calling a conference of neutrals. The failure of such a concerted attempt would do [Page 56] more harm to the cause of peace than the failure of one of [or] the other of the neutral states and would give a setback to the whole idea of peace.”

Stovall