File No. 763.72114A/185e
The Secretary of State to the Minister in Switzerland ( Stovall)
2776. For Garrett:
Under date of September 6 Department forwarded you by pouch paraphrases of telegrams from Central American Legations relative to treatment of Germans in countries of Central America.1 Summary thereof is as follows:
- Costa Rica. No arrests or internments of Germans. No trade or social discriminations except as influenced by American enemy-trading list. Germans prohibited from buying exportable articles for hoarding until after the war.
- Guatemala. No public regulation, but Germans subjected to strict surveillance and certain restrictions imposed upon their moving around. Also deprived of their firearms; otherwise not molested, and trade not interfered with.
- Haiti. A number of Germans interned and about 20 firms sequestrated.
- Honduras. Movements of Germans restricted. No property sequestrated except lighters in the Gulf of Fonseca. No trade restrictions.
- Nicaragua. Germans well treated. Practically no restrictions and but little discrimination. Nicaraguan Government has under advisement appointment of alien property custodian.
- Salvador. No restrictions on Germans.
For your confidential information: Department desires to caution you against committing this Government with respect to Germans in Latin American countries. There are strong reasons for desiring the internment and possible transportation to this country of certain individual German propagandists from those countries. Department should be consulted before German delegates are given any assurance that such internment will not take place.
- Not printed.↩