Robert Lansing to Woodrow Wilson

In the forthcoming conference at Berne regarding the treatment and exchange of prisoners of war, I think it would be very desirable to clothe the principal delegates with sufficient powers so that they can conclude an arrangement, such arrangement, of course, being subject to your approval. There are innumerable points which will come up for discussion, and it will, I fear, be highly undesirable if the delegates are obliged to refer each item to Washington during the course of the negotiations. The principal delegates, as selected by the heads of their respective departments, are

Hon. John W. Garrett, Chairman, Hon. John W. Davis, representing the Department of Justice, Maj. Gen. F. J. Kernan, representing the War Department, Capt. H. H. Hough, representing the Navy Department, And I believe we can safely trust the negotiations to their hands.

I should be very grateful for an expression of your views.