Office of the Historian

740.00114 European War 1939/1658: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Steinhardt)

Washington, October 21, 1941—midnight.

1150. Please refer to your 1458, August 9 and Department’s 988, August 19, inquiring whether the Soviet Union also intends to observe the Prisoner of War Convention signed at Geneva on July 27, 1929 and telegraph reply.

For your confidential information Dr. John R. Mott of War Prisoners’ Aid Committee of the Young Men’s Christian Associations has requested Department to endeavor obtain Soviet adherence to the Convention in order that his organization may get permission of Soviet Government to serve German prisoners in Russia. Department will be pleased to have any comment you may be able to give it regarding the proposal for YMCA aid to German prisoners.

Disregard reference to the “Convention on that subject signed on July 6, 1906” in Department’s 988, as references to prisoners of war in that convention are incidental and would be of little value in the present conflict.

Hull