390D.1124 Bitzer, John Andre/5: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in France (Bullitt)
1313. On October 5 the Consul General at Beirut reported that John Andre Bitzer, a naturalized American citizen of German extraction, having substantial property interests in Syria, had been ordered deported because of suspected relations with Germany. Bitzer’s wife is a native-born American. The Consul General succeeded in obtaining a delay of one month to permit settlement of Bitzer’s affairs but the French authorities declined to disclose grounds for expulsion.
The Consul General was instructed to state that while this Government recognized the right of a state to expel aliens considered dangerous to its security and would not intervene in such a case, we were confident that the French authorities would recognize our right to be informed of the grounds and evidence on which expulsion was based. It was added that if Bitzer was engaged in subversive activities it was desirable that adequate information on those activities be in our possession.
The Consul General now reports that in response to representations in accordance with foregoing, the High Commissioner has informed him that the military authorities insist on expulsion and that the High Commission feels it cannot intervene. The High Commissioner has informed the Consul General confidentially that Bitzer had been seen with the former Chancellor of the German Consulate General, who was under surveillance as a Nazi agent, but he has admitted that such association might be innocent and that expulsion might not take place under similar circumstances in France. Association with the German consular official is the only charge against Bitzer of which we have been informed.
Please take this matter up with the Foreign Office along the lines of the second paragraph of this telegram and request that instructions be sent to Beirut to reconsider Bitzer’s case with a view to either furnishing us in confidence with more convincing evidence of his improper activities or withdrawing the expulsion order if his guilt is not established.