124.51/199: Telegram
The Chargé in Germany (Morris) to the Secretary of State
[Received 10:37 a.m.]
1971. The following note has just been received from the Foreign Office:
“Following the conclusion of the military operations in France and the transfer of the French Government to Vichy, a section of the Diplomatic Corps chose to remain in Paris although under the general principles of international law there could be no doubt that the foreign missions should have followed the French Government to its new seat at Vichy.
The German Government does not feel able to allow this state of affairs to continue and to allow foreign diplomatic representations (Vertretungen) to remain in the area in question which is to be regarded as an extended (erweiterte) zone of operations.
The Foreign Office requests the Embassy of the United States of America to ask its Government now to withdraw what is left of its diplomatic representation in Paris. The expectation is expressed that the entire staff of the representation will leave Paris not later than June 10, 1941, and that the premises of the mission will be closed on that date.
After the removal of what is left of the representations in Paris the matters which have hitherto been dealt with by the foreign representations which have remained in Paris with the military commander in France should be taken up with the Foreign Office by the Berlin missions of the countries concerned.”
Repeated to Vichy and Paris.