File No. 763.72114A/256
The Minister in Switzerland ( Stovall) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 21, 1.25 p.m.]
22. [From Garrett]:
Your 3147, October 18, 4 p.m. We understand our civilian proposal approved but repeat to avoid misunderstanding. It has to do only with those German civilians actually interned at the date of ratification of the agreement and does not affect Germans then at large, even if they should be thereafter interned. We on our side propose:
- (a)
- To repatriate from amongst those interned at the date of
ratification of the agreement without regard to number—
- (1)
- Women and children;
- (2)
- Men over military age;
- (3)
- Helpless invalids (lesser invalids to be interned in Switzerland); and
- (b)
- To exchange head for head merchant seamen and men of military age.
Both propositions conditioned: (1) by right to detain any designated individuals; (2) by agreement that German civilians of all classes returned from the United States shall not exceed in number American civilians returned from Germany until all of latter, whether now interned or at large, who wish to depart shall have done so. In other words, we use German civilians interned in the United States to procure release of all civilian Americans in Germany. Without some such arrangement we believe that it will be impossible to get American civilians out of Germany. We propose not to tie America’s hands in regard to future action [toward] Germans [Page 100] now at large in the United States nor to tamper with the right to detain dangerous individuals, but on the other hand to secure most liberal possible treatment for the Americans still in Germany. Of course Germany may not accept our proposal as made and we should have some latitude for bargaining in the matter. In view of duration of confinement of those now interned and the delay in effecting exchanges, two months’ quarantine period seems to us unimportant and moreover would reciprocally entail the same detention of Americans in Germany, which hardship we want to spare them. Garrett.