340.1115A/1017: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Minister in the Netherlands (Gordon)12
353. Your 241, June 22, 11 a.m.13 The Department has always been mindful of the welfare of American citizens in Holland and their predicament has been the subject matter of considerable concern to the officers of the Department. However, under the circumstances which existed and which isolated The Hague from communication with Washington and the condition of warfare which existed on the continent of Europe in intensified form until this week have prevented the Department from visualizing the possibilities of facilitating the return of those persons to the United States. It is not safely possible to send a vessel to a Channel port or a North Sea port and no such sailing is contemplated, as you were informed by Department’s 64 of May 6, 3 p.m.14 Within the last few days, however, a change in conditions of actual warfare have developed on the continent and it may now be possible to arrange the departure en bloc of the American citizens by train to the port of Lisbon. The S. S. Manhattan will arrive at the port of Lisbon on July 7 and after embarking passengers there will sail directly for the port of New York. It is not contemplated to especially divert another vessel to Europe. The American Export Line is instituting a regular weekly service between New York and Lisbon.
The Department has not paid the transportation of persons desiring to return to the United States. The Department has, however, arranged with the operating companies that vessels be sent to Europe [Page 136] in order to enable American citizens to purchase their passage home. It ought to be possible to make arrangements now for bona fide American citizens in Holland to be transported by rail to Lisbon at their expense. In case any of the persons have insufficient funds you may telegraph their names and addresses in the United States and the names of their families, friends or employers. The Department will endeavor immediately to obtain from the families, friends or employers sums for their passage and on failure to receive same will authorize you to lend such persons against their promissory notes funds sufficient to enable them to pay their transportation to the United States partly by rail and partly by water.
If you are able to make arrangements with the appropriate authorities for travel individually or en masse from Holland through France and Spain to Lisbon, you may be assured that the Spanish authorities have agreed to facilitate the entry at the border of American citizens and that the Portuguese authorities are glad to facilitate the entry of Americans across their border provided they are assured of accommodations upon a vessel.
The difficulty in communicating with The Hague has naturally interfered with arrangements but if you will telegraph the names and addresses of persons who are in need of funds so that the Department can make the necessary inquiries in this country every effort will be made here to expedite the possibility of those arrangements.