Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, The Lansing Papers, 1914–1920, Volume I

763.72/1962½: Telegram

President Wilson to the Secretary of State

Windsor Vt., July 7, 1915.
[Received 5: 15 p. m.]

Papers received. Am I right in supposing that message from Vienna²⁸ is merely gratuitous advice from the Austrian Government as to our duty as neutrals?

In regard to the message from Gerard²⁹ I would suggest if your own judgment coincides that we instruct him³⁰ to convey unofficially to the imperial Government our determination not to yield or compromise in any way our rights as neutrals or prestige of our citizens but our hearty willingness to exercise our good offices with regard to effecting any arrangements which will open the sea to common use with as little danger as possible to non-belligerents, keeping these two things entirely distinct, namely, our rights, which we cannot abate, and our services as friends of all parties. We will discuss anything that it is reasonable and practicable to discuss except the curtailment of our clear and established rights.

Woodrow Wilson

28. ibid., p. 436.
29. Foreign Relations, 1915, supp., p. 460.
30. For the instruction, see telegram No. 1918, July 8, 1915, to the Ambassador in Germany, ibid., p. 462.