Price: $500.00
Unbound. Complete set of six 8” x 10” sepia-toned gelatin silver photographs (one for each telegram page). Bound at the top with a green ribbon. The lower left corners of the first three pages have chipped away with no loss to the text. Apparently removed from an album as the reverse of the last page has paper remnants affixed.
Between the 28th of July and the 6th of August 1914, as the nations of Europe one-by-one declared war upon each other, President Wilson saw himself as the best arbiter of a peaceful solution and the only person who could prevent full-on military conflict. One of his first attempts was to send a message to Great Britain and Germany reminding them of the 1906 Declaration of London, a set of rules governing the rights and duties of neutrals in time of war. Implicit within his message was an offer to negotiate. While Germany quickly consented to Wilson’s request, Great Britain did not respond until three weeks later, well after hostilities had begun in earnest.
These are contemporary photographs of the “telegram” that was handwritten in English by Kaiser Wilhelm II in response, and which was handed to U.S. Ambassador Gerard for personal delivery to President Wilson. In it the Kaiser explains the sequence of diplomatic events that led to Great Britain’s declaration of war upon Germany on August 4th. This item comes from the estate of Richard E. Enright, who at the time was the Police Commissioner of New York City. Comes with a later printed transcript of the handwritten telegram.
Item #413696
