Office of the Historian

File No. 763.72115/3314

The Swiss Minister ( Sulzer) to the Secretary of State

Department of
German Interests
Washington, May 20, 1918.
[Received May 22.]

Sir: I have the honor to advise Your Excellency that I am in receipt of a cablegram from the Swiss Foreign Office, communicated to the Legation at the request of the German Government, as follows:

[Translation]2

German Government begs inform American Government that according to reliable information states of the Entente insist by every means that Chinese Government deport as promptly as possible to Australia German subjects including women and children. If deportation is carried out German Government will resort to most severe reprisals without any regard.

In conformity with my instructions, I have the honor to notify Your Excellency of the above, and shall be happy to transmit to my Government any statement you may desire to make in the premises.

Hans Sulzer
  1. Made in the Department from the text quoted in French.↩