File No. 763.72/3364½
Memorandum of the Secretary of State
The Swiss Minister called this afternoon and after attending to some other matters I told him that I was perplexed by a statement regarding the overture which he had sent to me on Sunday the 11th on behalf of Germany.1 I then read to him the annexed telegram received from Berne.2 He listened very intently and when I had concluded I said: “It would appear, Mr. Minister, that the overture was suggested originally by you. Is that correct?”
The Minister appeared very nervous and after some hesitation said: “I will tell you the whole story.” He then proceeded to relate in substance the following:
Diplomatic relations were broken off on Saturday, February 3. On Monday, the 5th, Count Bernstorff telephoned him that Dr. Kirchwey3 was coming to see him (Dr. Ritter) with a message to [Page 140] be sent through Berne to Berlin and that he approved of the message. Dr. Kirchwey called to see him and showed him the wireless message which had been sent by Bartelme1 and asked him to send identically the same message to Berlin via Berne. Dr. Ritter replied that he had not yet been authorized to act for the German Embassy and in any event he could see no use in repeating the same suggestions already made by wireless. He finally agreed to send a message stating that “with the approval of Bernstorff” he suggested some steps toward negotiations being taken along the lines of the Bartelme message and asking his Government to repeat the suggestion to Berlin.
Either on Friday evening, the 9th, or Saturday morning following (I am not sure which time he gave), he received the communication, the substance of which was in the paper which he sent me Sunday evening, the 11th. It came from his Government which transmitted it from Berlin. About 10 o’clock on Saturday morning, the 10th, he showed the message or gave a copy of it to Prince Hatzfeldt. About noon Draper of the Associated Press called to see him stating that he had the substance of the overture for negotiations which he (Ritter) had received. Draper repeated what he had learned and the Minister saw that Draper did in fact have the substance, though Draper assured him that he had not obtained it from Bernstorff. The Minister was convinced that Hatzfeldt had told Draper.
The next that the Minister knew of the matter was that he read a statement in regard to the message in the afternoon paper on Saturday, and as he had made an appointment to see Mr. Polk at 6 o’clock that evening he determined to present the overture orally to him, which he did, and after Mr. Polk had communicated the substance to me, he, upon Mr. Polk’s stating on Sunday morning that I wished him to put it in writing, did so and sent it to me that afternoon.
Upon the completion of his narrative, which was told in a disjointed and nervous way, and was rather hard to follow, I said to him: “So, Mr. Minister, this plan of an overture originated here in Washington?” “Yes,” he answered, “it was all done with the approval of Count Bernstorff.” “Dr. Kirchwey appears to have acted as his agent in this matter,” I said. “Yes,” he replied, “Count Bernstorff asked me by telephone to send a message, which Dr. Kirchwey would come and see me about. I found it just like the Bartelme wireless message so another was made suggesting following the advice in that message.”
The Minister said further he would show me the original, and something about a memorandum or paper in Bernstorff’s handwriting. [Page 141] I did not understand and obtained no further light although I questioned the Minister about it. I did not press the matter as I feared that it might arouse suspicions in his mind and prevent his showing me the original papers.
The Minister said, on taking his leave, that now that he had fully explained the matter he hoped that no blame could be attached to him and that he wished I would find it possible to let the newspapers know that he had not acted improperly. I told him that if he would show me the originals I had no doubt some statement could be made. He repeated that he would bring me the papers.