ed-out zone, leaving open channels for neutral
shipping, and by other measures giving due consideration to the
interests of the neutrals.

Just at the moment when the President's appeal to the entire
belligerent world coincided with the spontaneous statement of our
group, in which we gave a solemn proof of our willingness to
conclude a just peace and one acceptable by our enemies, a fresh
and larger minefield was laid down in the North Sea on the route
of the world's traffic, and, casting ridicule on the noble
initiative of the United States, a war of destruction against our
groups of Powers was announced by the Entente.

We urge the great aims that inspired the action of the American
Government: the quickest possible cessation of the fearful
slaughter of men and the founding of an honourable, lasting and
blessed peace by combating with the greatest energy our enemies'
furious war for conquest. The course we pursue leads to the common
aims of ourselves and the American Government, and we cannot give
up the hope of finding understanding in the people and the
Government of the United States.

TISZA.

I answered as follows:

_March 5._

DEAR FRIEND,--I cannot agree with you. After the first _Ancona_
Note you veered round and declared in a second Note that "we
agreed with the German standpoint in the main"--that was an
obvious yielding and contained a hidden promise.

I do not think that any legal wiles will dupe the Americans, and
if we were to deny the promise it would not advance us any
further.

But, secondly and principally, it is altogether impossible with
words to make the Americans desist from war if they wish it;
either they will make straight for war and then no Notes will
avail, or they will seek a pretext to escape the war danger and
will find it in our Note.

So much for the merits of the matter.

What you demand is technically impossible. The Note was not easy
to compile. I had to alter it entirely as time went on; His
Majesty then wished to see it, made some alterations and
sanctioned it. Meanwhile Penfield[7] importuned me and telegraphed
even a week ago to America to reassure his people; the Germans,
too, had to be won over for that particular passage.

You know how ready I am to discuss important matters with you, but
_ultra posse nemo tenetur_--it was physically impossible to upset
everything again and