File No. 763.72114/3336
The Secretary of State to the Minister in Switzerland ( Stovall)
1728. Your 2735, February 27, 10 a.m. Request Spanish Embassy, Berlin, to convey to German Government the following statement in reply to the proposal contained in its note verbale to Spanish Embassy of February 101 regarding pay of officers:
The Government of the United States is disposed to accept the proposal of the German Government that for purposes of pay officers be divided into two classes:
(1) Navy—Lieutenants (junior grade), ensigns, chief warrant officers, warrant officers, and similar officers and warrant officers of Marine Corps.
Army—First and second lieutenants.
(2) Navy—All officers, line and staff of and above the rank of lieutenant (senior grade) and officers of the Marine Corps of corresponding assimilated rank.
Army—Captains and higher grade officers.
The Government of the United States desires also to include in class one all of the personnel enumerated in class three of the proposal of the German Government and will on assurance of reciprocity afford that personnel the same treatment and pay as the personnel enumerated above in class one.
The Government of the United States agrees on the basis of complete reciprocity to pay to the personnel of class one the equivalent of 350 marks at 4.20 or $83.35 per month and to the personnel of class two the equivalent of 400 marks, at 4.20 or $95.25 per month.
The Government of the United States agrees on the basis of complete reciprocity to pay interned Germans of military rank on leave, [Page 43] in reserve units and in retirement, in accordance with the rates specified above, provided the German Government certifies to the rank of such Germans in each case and adheres to the statement made in its note to the Spanish Embassy of February 10, 1918, to the effect that it expressly binds itself to refund sums so disbursed at the conclusion of the war.
The foregoing provisions shall apply to the personnel of the forces of the two countries who may now or may in future be in the hands of the Government of the other country.
The Government of the United States furthermore desires that there be no distinction made as regards the treatment and pay of officers, prisoners of war, who are in the active naval or military service of its forces, whether they be on the active, retired, or reserve list.
Provided the German Government accepts the modifications to its proposal as stipulated above the Government of the United States will be glad to learn whether the German Government desires that the German nationals who have been certified by it as being included in the personnel specified in classes one and two and who were interned by the Government of the United States prior to April 6, 1918 [1917?], be given pay retroactively to cover the period from that date forward in accordance with the above schedules, and whether the German Government will bind itself to refund at the conclusion of the war all sums so disbursed.
The foregoing may be considered as supplementary to section (a), paragraph 5, of general draft of agreement forwarded under cover of Department’s despatch of February 21, 1918.1