File No. 763.72119/185
The Chargé in Germany (Grew) to the Secretary of State
[Received November 27, 8.15 a. m.]
4652. Department’s 3606, November 22.1 Hale informs me that in view of recent developments such as the death of the Austrian Emperor, the changes in the Foreign Office, and the establishment of the auxiliary Government service, the Chancellor has now decided that it would be preferable to base the interview primarily on those developments, and thus avoid approaching the subject of peace directly, though bringing it into the interview indirectly. Hale states that he placed the new draft in the Chancellor’s hands yesterday for approval. I am in possession of the text of the original interview, but in view of the new developments in the matter and as the original interview cannot now be regarded as authentic or as the Chancellor’s own utterance, I presume that the Department will desire me to cable only the revised text if and when it shall have been approved by the Chancellor. Please inform me whether it is desired that I use the special code in cabling the revised interview, and whether it should be paraphrased.
For the Department’s information I quote below a few disconnected excerpts from the more significant portions of the unrevised text of the original interview, which, as I say, cannot now be regarded as definitely approved.
Do you think, Mr. Hale, it is possible that your countrymen think that the German people alone remain untouched by the electric vibrations of the idea [Page 70] of peace which throb in the air, surcharged with the agonies of 30 months of bloody conflict?
Surely no one who knows anything of the German character, of German history, or of German ideals, can doubt the sincerity with which, on purely unselfish grounds, we desire to see brought to an end this conflict so disastrous to all western civilization.
The mandate which continues Mr. Wilson in the high office which he has discharged through four most difficult years seems to be interpreted by some, at least, of your public men as a proposal of the initiation of a program of peace.
We Germans neither invite it nor should we resent it.
The question of peace lies with the enemies of the allied Central powers of Europe, whose only desire and firm determination is to defeat the conspiracy which would crush their national existence.
If you ask me the definite question of Belgium, I will remind you that in no utterance of mine have you ever read that the retention of Belgium was a principle of German policy.
If you inquire our views respecting a world tribunal to enforce peace, I answer that world peace is and has ever been a German ideal and that we should hail with joy any practical plan that would reasonably promise to insure it.
If I say these things it is not because of any doubt, indecision, or weakness.
While the will of the German people grows even more resolute to carry the struggle on to any length necessary to the complete vindication of our national integrity and destiny, it has ever been and is now our desire to resume the amicable [exertions] of peace as soon as we are allowed to do so.
I beg that these disconnected excerpts may be regarded by the Department as strictly confidential and not given out either textually or in substance for publication, as the memorandum was given me in confidence and as it does not represent the official position of the Chancellor, since he has recalled the original interview with Hale.