Herbert Hoover to Woodrow Wilson
Title
Herbert Hoover to Woodrow Wilson
Creator
Hoover, Herbert, 1874-1964
Identifier
WWP19489
Date
1919 February 12
Description
Herbert Hoover lets Woodrow Wilson know that the relief money he authorized cannot be sent to Serbia until the State Department certifies the Serbian government.
Source
Hoover-Wilson Correspondence, Hoover Institution, Hoover Institution Archives, Stanford, California
Publisher
Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum
Subject
Wilson, Woodrow, 1856-1924--Correspondence
Hoover, Herbert, 1874-1964--Correspondence
Language
English
Text
DRAFT
Dear Mr. President
Under your strong recommendation of six weeks ago, the Treasury undertook to make advances to Serbia of $15,000,000 for food. After long delays caused by difficulties of communication and arrangement of the precise details required by the Treasury, the matter was apparently consummated. A new difficulty has now arisen because the State Department feels itself unable to certify that the present Serbian Government is constitutionally founded and the Treasury refuses to make advances without the necessary certificateion from the State Department. I do not see how we can bridge over this position without your intervention.
It does appear to me that we are in effect recognizing the Serbian Government, that we recognize their Minister in Washington and have never ceased relations from a Ministerial point of view with the Serbian Government. It appears also that the Serbian Government dissolved their Parliament at the time of their retreat and subsequently reorganized their Ministry without Parliamentary sanction, which was of course impossible to secure. I may say that the Belgian, Roumanian, and other fugitive governments are in precisely the same situation.
In the meantime, except for such amounts of food as we could spare from the appropriation from your private fund, the Serbians are now without supplies. The $100,000,000 fund was provided to take care of other governments than those which could receive direct Treasury advances. I have discussed the matter with Mr. Lansing and he informs me that if you will address the enclosed letter to him he will take the necessary steps.
Yours faithfully,
Herbert C. Hoover
Dear Mr. President
Under your strong recommendation of six weeks ago, the Treasury undertook to make advances to Serbia of $15,000,000 for food. After long delays caused by difficulties of communication and arrangement of the precise details required by the Treasury, the matter was apparently consummated. A new difficulty has now arisen because the State Department feels itself unable to certify that the present Serbian Government is constitutionally founded and the Treasury refuses to make advances without the necessary certificateion from the State Department. I do not see how we can bridge over this position without your intervention.
It does appear to me that we are in effect recognizing the Serbian Government, that we recognize their Minister in Washington and have never ceased relations from a Ministerial point of view with the Serbian Government. It appears also that the Serbian Government dissolved their Parliament at the time of their retreat and subsequently reorganized their Ministry without Parliamentary sanction, which was of course impossible to secure. I may say that the Belgian, Roumanian, and other fugitive governments are in precisely the same situation.
In the meantime, except for such amounts of food as we could spare from the appropriation from your private fund, the Serbians are now without supplies. The $100,000,000 fund was provided to take care of other governments than those which could receive direct Treasury advances. I have discussed the matter with Mr. Lansing and he informs me that if you will address the enclosed letter to him he will take the necessary steps.
Yours faithfully,
Herbert C. Hoover
Original Format
Letter
To
Wilson, Woodrow, 1856-1924
Files
Citation
Hoover, Herbert, 1874-1964, “Herbert Hoover to Woodrow Wilson,” 1919 February 12, WWP19489, Hoover Institute at Stanford University Collection, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum, Staunton, Virginia.