763.72119/2764
The Swiss Minister ( Sulzer ) to the Secretary of State
Mr. Secretary: At the request of my Government I have the honor to transmit the following note to Your Excellency:
The Government of the Swiss Confederation at the moment of the termination of the war regards it as its right and duty not to stand aloof from the settlement of a certain number of questions in which Switzerland, like other States, is directly interested.
The Swiss people could not understand that those questions could be handled in a conference at which their Government was not represented, and rules set up without Switzerland’s cooperation could not possess with us the high value and absolute prestige with which we should like to see the international law of the future vested, with special regard to the institutions intended to secure a just and lasting peace. Furthermore, among the international questions which present themselves, there are some which have a direct and immediate bearing on Switzerland.
Under the circumstances, the Government of the Confederation has the honor to express a wish that its representatives be admitted into the conferences that are to be opened or at the very least those which will deal with topics in which Switzerland has interests of a general or private character.
I take [etc.]
- File translation revised.↩