Office of the Historian

390.1115A/1401: Telegram

The Minister in Switzerland (Harrison) to the Secretary of State

Bern, February 16, 1943.
[Received February 16—3:44 p.m.]

1075. American interests—Far East. Your 274, 3d.8 Foreign Office reports, according telegram Fontanel February 12, figure 6,000 includes British and Americans. Swiss Consul estimates about 1,200 Americans will be interned Shanghai of total American resident population about 1,400. Figure does not include persons from Guam, Wake, other areas but only residents occupied China.

Estimated 200 probably remaining liberty include (1) sick, (2) Americans of Oriental race, (3) indispensable employees public service and enterprises controlled by Japanese.

Swiss Foreign Office adds informally foregoing measures against Americans being carried out by local Japanese authorities under orders Tokyo.

Harrison
  1. Not printed; it requested the Minister in Switzerland to confirm the figure of 6,000 given in second paragraph of his telegram No. 743, February 1, p. 959, “as this greatly exceeds number of United States citizens estimated by Department to remain in China.” (390.1115A/1369)↩