Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, 1917, Supplement 1, The World War

File No. 862.20235/202

The Ambassador in Argentina ( Stimson ) to the Secretary of State

[Telegram]

Buenos Aires , December 17, 1917, 5 p.m.
[Received 8.33 p.m.]

Your December 17, 6 p.m., my December 15, 6 p.m.,¹ Saguier telephoned this afternoon that the President would not come to his office and therefore could not see me to-day. I see no reason to differ from the general belief here that the President is determined not to break with Germany. In the first place he has stated to me, although he had already read the Luxburg telegrams, that he would [not] break with Germany on account of anything that has occurred hitherto. It must further be remarked that no ship has been permitted to clear for the war zone under the Argentine flag since the Pueyrredon; see my November 22, 11 a.m.¹

Saguier tells me that the Luxburg telegrams were the work of a madman, and it is now given out from government circles that Luxburg, who is in a German sanitarium, is insane.²

Stimson

1. Neither printed.
1. Neither printed.
2. After much correspondence on the subject, Count Luxburg finally (May 9, 1918) sailed for Germany under safe-conducts from the American and British Governments.