File No. 763.72114/2923
The Secretary of State to the Secretary of War ( Baker)
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of September 26, 1917,1 in which you suggest that an attempt be made to arrange a conference at The Hague or Berne between delegates representing the Governments of the United States and Germany for the purpose of concluding one general agreement covering all questions governing the treatment of prisoners of war.
Although fully aware of the practical advantages which might result from the holding of such a conference I believe that from the political point of view this would be inexpedient at the present time and I am accordingly unable to favor taking steps to that end.
[Page 65]I believe, however, that it is advisable to come to some definite agreement with the German Government regarding the various points taken up in your letter and I suggest therefore that this be done by diplomatic negotiation through the good offices of the Spanish Government which is in charge of our interests in Germany.
In this connection I have the honor to observe that proposed drafts for reciprocal agreements have already been drawn up governing the transmission of mail, money orders and parcels for prisoners of war, as well as the privileges to be granted to the diplomatic representative of the protecting power covering the inspection of prison camps, and that these proposed drafts have received the approval of your Department as well as of the other Departments directly interested therein. I therefore suggest that it would be advisable to draw up proposed drafts of reciprocal agreements covering all of the other points mentioned in your letter of September 26, dealing with the maintenance and care of prisoners of war, in order that they may be forwarded to the German Government without further delay.
I should also be glad to receive an expression of your views as to whether you consider it more expedient to combine all of these drafts in one general agreement or whether each should be forwarded to the German Government separately.
I have [etc.]
- Not printed.↩