340.1115A/1070: Telegram
The Chargé in Germany (Heath) to the Secretary of State
[Received 2:05 p.m.]
2331. Department’s 1825, July 2, 1 p.m. I called at the Foreign Office and made an oral communication in the sense of the Department’s telegram under reference leaving also an urgent memorandum. He excused the delay in replying to our previous communication by saying that it had been necessary to consult the Civil Government of Occupation in Holland.
If no reply to my two notes verbales on the subject is received by July 5, I recommend that I be authorized to deliver a signed note in the following sense:
“I have the honor to bring to Your Excellency’s attention that the Embassy’s two notes verbales requesting assurances that exit visas would be granted without delay to American citizens desiring to leave Holland to return to the United States have remained without reply.
These notes pointed out that this question is daily becoming more urgent and acute. The matter has been taken up on various occasions by the American Legation in The Hague with the German authorities there who stated that they saw no difficulty whatsoever in granting the requested permission but that they would have to refer the matter to Berlin. Accordingly it is not understood why the matter should again be referred back to The Hague nor why any further delay in reaching a decision should be necessary.
Furthermore the American Government fails to see that any German interest can be served by continuing to refuse to allow American citizens who will only cross German territory in transit en route to a port of embarkation for the United States permission to leave the Netherlands.
In view of the foregoing I again request Your Excellency to be so kind as to cause instructions to be issued that the required permission [Page 141] and visas be granted to American citizens desiring to leave Holland under the conditions above stated.”
Please cable triple priority answer.21
- In reply, the Department in its telegram No. 1861, July 5, 6 p.m., stated: “No objection delivery note in sense quoted.”↩