Frank I. Cobb to Colonel House

I can appreciate the President's misgivings, but I think it can be done without dropping into any of the pitfalls that he foresees. It is a danger that will have to avoided. So far as getting the challenge to The Tageblatt is concerned, I am certain that could be arranged so it would appear merely to be done by permission of the United States Government, and not by participation of the United States Government.

So far as that is concerned, we can make a formal request to the State Department in any way to endorse or approve of the proceedings.
It seems to me, also that the debate should be nominally restricted, in so far as possible, to the issues between the United States and Germany. On that basis we can get in everything else that we desire to put into the record.

Very truly yours,
FRANK I. COBB