Foreign Relations of the United States Diplomatic Papers, 1939, General, Volume I

340.1115A/196: Telegram

The Chargé in Germany (Kirk) to the Secretary of State

Berlin, October 20, 1939—10 a.m.
[Received 2:17 p.m.]

1776. Department’s 709, October 13, 8 p.m. Competent Foreign Office officials have supplied orally the following answers to the five questions listed in the telegram under acknowledgment.

1. Yes, in principle.

2. At present it is not possible to send funds directly from the United States to Poland. No banks are operating there although they may reopen in two or three weeks. However in principle there is no objection to sending funds into Poland and the suggestion was made that funds received in the Embassy for distribution to American citizens in Poland might be sent in cash, either dollars or reichs-marks, to the Foreign Office which would by channels available to it, but not to foreigners, transmit the funds to the American consular representative at Warsaw. The American Consul once in possession of funds for distribution should have access to the German civilian authorities who would doubtless cooperate with him in distributing the monies in question. Communication in Poland, however, is not easy as no postal service aside from the army service is functioning and railway traffic has not been altogether reopened. The transmission of funds or other valuables out of Poland is not permitted even into Germany. Civilians in general, even Germans, are not permitted to go to Warsaw at the present time but civilians can go to other Polish cities. The establishment of a United States official courier service in Poland to distribute funds to Americans there would, however, not be viewed with favor by the German authorities.

3. There is no objection to American citizens now in Poland leaving the German occupied area and the Germans will assist them to go.

4. The answer is yes. The German authorities will cooperate, although in regard to inquiries the possibility of readily obtaining information in view of the absence of postal service and the changes of population resulting from military operations in Poland is remote.

5. The Germans cannot undertake to facilitate whereabouts and welfare inquiries concerning non-American friends and relatives of American citizens. Such work might involve inquiries concerning Poles all over the country and concerning people who would in many cases have abandoned their ordinary places of residence. Moreover, in the German view, inquiries in regard to Polish citizens should properly be made through the power protecting Polish interests, which is the Swedish Legation in Berlin.⁵⁰

It was stated, however, that in special cases such as, for instance, inquiries regarding some highly placed [non-American?] in Poland from an American of prominence could be brought to the attention of the German Foreign Office which would endeavor to obtain the information desired.

In view of the foregoing I believe that such funds or inquiries as the Department may care to send in relation to Americans or American interests in German occupied Poland may most effectively be sent to this Embassy for communication to the American consular officers at Warsaw through the medium of the German Foreign Office. The Embassy will endeavor to ascertain when direct communication between Warsaw and the United States is reestablished in order that the Department may be duly informed of the possibility of addressing the American Consular Office at Warsaw without any unnecessary intervention of this Mission.

Kirk

50. In telegram No. 2386, December 17, 2 p.m., the Chargé in Germany reported that in the future such inquiries should be directed to the German Red Cross (340.1115A/332).