File No. 654.119/29a
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Great Britain ( Page )1
For your information. Journal de Genève, September 29, publishes following telegram from Berne:
In regard to economic relations Switzerland and Allies, latter seem to be dominated more and more by pressure United States bringing to bear. American Confederation starts on principle of universal lack of foodstuffs and from fact that Allies as belligerents ought to share in foodstuffs before neutrals, who would thus be obliged to limit consumption. One sees even idea gaining ground in United States that issue food supplies to neutrals is favor which only ought to be accorded against compensation. People in United States have very simple ideas concerning this problem, even a bit elementary, and whose strict application would carry long way. Neutral states of north are in danger of feeling consequences. As far as concerns Switzerland more than once she found advocates in Governments of London and Paris who have intervened with American diplomacy to obtain certain moderation in restrictive measures against neutrals. The difficulties which we have with the Quadruple Alliance seem to be second rate after those provoked by rigid ideas proclaimed by American Confederation.
It would be well to bear in mind the danger of allowing the United States to assume the full onus for restrictions on neutrals especially when the impression is created that this is done against the wishes of other belligerents.
- The same, on the same date, to the Ambassadors in France, Italy, and Russia and the Ministers in Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden.↩