124.516/359: Telegram

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

1104. Your 1438, April 15, 5 p.m.73 While appreciating your concern, the Department feels that if left to conjecture there will be [Page 516] greater force in the implication of possible hardship to German nationals held in represented countries than would be the case were the Department to attempt to define the retaliatory measures that the governments of these countries may take if informed of this Government’s inability effectively to represent their interests in occupied France because of the refusal of the German Government to provide adequate communication facilities.

The Department is willing to use the official mail facilities provided by the German authorities in occupied France but insists that they be made adequate. Otherwise the Department will have no alternative than to notify the represented governments, and the German Government will in that event have only itself to thank for such retaliatory measures as its uncooperative attitude may invite, the nature and extent of which the Department is unable and considers it unwise to attempt to indicate.

Hull
  1. Not printed.