File No. 763.72114/3661
The Minister in Switzerland ( Stovall) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 27, 7 p.m.]
3461. Contents of Department’s 1864, May 7, 5 p.m., were transmitted to Foreign Office and am today in receipt of a reply dated May 23, as follows in translation:
Mr. Minister: It is with particular satisfaction we learn from Your Excellency’s note of May 9 that the Government of the United States has conceived the idea of interning American soldiers in Switzerland who have been prisoners in Germany, in case such there are.
It is hardly necessary to assure you that your compatriots would find the best welcome in Switzerland, for the authorities and all the population would congratulate themselves to be able to give under this form a new proof of their friendly sentiments to the great sister Republic, America.
Your Excellency, who knows well the present economic difficulties of our country, will understand on the other hand that the number of Americans interned to be received will depend on essentially the general situation of Switzerland, as well as on the number of interned from other countries who may be on our territory at the time when [Page 79] the internment of Americans should start, but you can be sure that we will do everything in our power to conform to your desire in all cases.
We are very touched with generous offer to put at times at our disposition provisions from the “American Prisoners Central Committee” which we would accept certainly with gratitude. To avoid all misunderstanding we believe, however, we must observe even now that this help from point of view of nourishment cannot be sent directly to interned Americans, the Swiss Government adopting the principle that the interned should be treated as far as concerns their rations in all foodstuffs on exactly the same footing as the Swiss population.
We add that the competent Swiss authorities will be happy to lend their help for the nomination of Swiss doctors in an understanding with the German authorities for the repatriation or internment of American prisoners of war.
Receive, etc., signed Calonder.