File No. 763.72/3117
The Ambassador in Turkey ( Elkus) to the Secretary of State
[Received January 10, 8 a.m.]
2393. Newbold1 has been informed by the Constantinople military attaché of a neutral power that some German officers just arrived from Berlin have stated to him that Germany is preparing for a [Page 82] pitiless submarine warfare by the end of February next. The Germans will, it is stated, effectively blockade by their submarines the whole of the British coast and will sink without warning every vessel that goes to or from England. This the Germans state will be a breach of all their promises to such an extent that it will certainly bring about a rupture of diplomatic relations between the United States and Germany, if not war.
I submit the above to the Department for what it may be worth. It may be that this has been purposely reported to our Embassy in order that it should be transmitted to the Department so as to induce the latter to use all its influence to bring about peace.
- Maj. Henry L. Newbold, military attaché at Constantinople.↩