Paris Peace Conf. 772.73/7
President Wilson to the Secretary of State
My Dear Lansing: This is a very moving letter,13 and I would highly value your advice concerning it. I am inclined to advise and request that you have a very frank talk with the representative of Serbia and say how much distress and what serious questions are arising in our minds because of the dealings of Serbia with Montenegro. Undoubtedly the sympathies of the people of the United States are as much with Montenegro as with Serbia. Our people have always admired the sturdy independence of the little kingdom, and I feel that the whole cause of Jugoslavia is being embarrassed and prejudiced by the apparent efforts to decide by arms what ought [Page 368] to be decided by pacific arrangement and consent. I hope that this course will commend itself to you and that you will seek the earliest possible opportunity to express these sentiments to Mr. Vesnitch.14
I am enclosing my reply to the King15 and hope, unless you see some diplomatic complication in it, you will be kind enough to have it delivered.
Cordially and faithfully yours,