File No. 763.72114/3020
The Ambassador in Russia ( Francis ) to the Secretary of State
[Received November 8, 12.40 p.m.]
1956. Your 18051 and 1809,2 also telegram from Legation at Copenhagen October 27, 4 p.m.,3 dealt with pursuant to your 1815.3 Minister for Foreign Affairs with whom I have discussed the matter several times states that reiterated instructions have been sent to Russian delegates, who are of undoubted probity and thoroughly reliable, to deal only with matters relative to exchange of invalids and that Russian Minister at Copenhagen has been directed to keep our Legation there fully apprised of all developments. He assures me that this is in accord with Russian policy from the beginning of the war to confine the exchange of prisoners to men fatally ill or undoubtedly unfit for further service, while England, for example, has been exchanging prisoners in view of long duration of imprisonment.
[Page 640]My opinion that shipment of American food for interned prisoners in Denmark would be most inadvisable, if not absolutely dangerous, is strengthened by recent statement of a member of the Danish Legation here who informally asserted that Denmark now holds large quantities of food of kinds ordinarily shipped to England which can not now be shipped on account of submarine warfare, which will not be sent to Germany and which is not necessary for home consumption.
Legation at Copenhagen advised of promised cooperation of Russian Government and that Department will repeat to it in special cipher substance of this message.