Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, 1918, Supplement 2, The World War

File No. 763.72113/447

The Swiss Minister ( Sulzer) to the Secretary of State

Department of German
Interests IV–14

Washington, January 25, 1918.
[Received January 26.]

Sir: I have the honor to inform Your Excellency that the Legation is in receipt of a cablegram from the Swiss Foreign Office, as follows:

The Legation at Berlin advises German Government desires to know:

(1) If offices of the Hamburg-American Line have been definitely seized and if the American authorities have taken possession.

(2) If the Supreme Court has given sequestration power in order to liquidate 43,000 stocks and bonds of gold-mine companies, in which subjects of enemy states are interested.

(3) If the American Treasury Department has ordered the liquidation of enemy insurance companies with the exception of life insurance companies.

(4) If, in a general way, the seizure or liquidation of German private property, particularly of German commercial enterprises, has been ordered.

The Minister begs leave to add that he will be happy to transmit to his Government the reply of the Government of the United States.

Hans Sulzer